When my 78-mother-in-law, DeAnne Mack, died suddenly in 2018, the chore of cleaning out the Omaha, Neb. house she’d lived in for over 50 years fell to my husband and me. We weren’t looking forward to it. DeAnne, we knew, had been hoarding for decades. … Continue reading
Losing a loved one is hard in itself. But when that person was a hoarder — like roughly 19 million Americans — managing grief while sorting through mountains of stuff is even more challenging. I know; my widowed grandmother was a hoarder, and I dealt w… Continue reading
There is an enormous stack of paperwork that follows me wherever I go. Even now as I’m settling into a new apartment, I’m staring at the remaining dregs of paperwork I cannot get rid of. For years I have edited down these piles, thrown them out, ripped… Continue reading
Next Avenue published nearly 1,000 stories in 2018. Below are the 10 our visitors read the most. Discover something you might have missed or enjoy a previous favorite. Thank you for reading and supporting Next Avenue in 2018. We hope you’ll join us in … Continue reading
Studies show that 1 in roughly every 20 people suffers from hoarding disorder, which means you probably know someone who is a hoarder. Here’s what you can do to identify the signs and take action to help. Continue reading
The pain and frustration are palpable. “I hired a maid… [My mother] didn’t talk to me for months. I filled two construction dumpsters full and there was still 2,400 square feet left to clean up. Eventually the maid quit when my dad berated her for thro… Continue reading