ImageHeader
  • Home
  • Services
    • Commercial Property Damage Restoration
    • Fire Damage Restoration
    • Water Damage Restoration for Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
    • Mold Damage Remediation
    • Professional Biohazard Cleanup
    • Emergency Board Up
  • Our Team
  • Customer Reviews
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Report a Loss
  • Contact Us

Children of Hoarders: The Unsung Heroes of Mental Health Month

Posted by Kristine Allcroft, PhD 
· May 16, 2015 
Mental Health Month Heroes

Children of Hoarders: The Unsung Heroes of Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mental illness is a fact of life for so many people.

Alcoholism, depression . . . the list of diagnoses is almost endless.

And, last year yet another diagnosis was added to the never-ending list of mental illness: hoarding disorder.

Hoarding Disorder became its own diagnosis because while the patterns of behavior look like those of obsessive compulsive disorder, people with hoarding disorder confounded the medical community by not getting better with the standard drugs used to treat OCD. Hoarders don’t respond to pharmaceutical intervention. That led researchers to believe that hoarding disorder is a different kind of brain imbalance.

for children of hoarders

Victims of mental illness aren’t always the people with the diagnosis

With the creation of this new diagnosis, more attention is focused on solving the problem of hoarding.
But almost no attention has been paid to the unsung heroes of mental health month: the children of hoarders.

Unlike children of parents with alcoholism and depression, who have found support and healing through compassion and understanding of groups like Adult Children of Alcoholics or Alateen, the children of hoarders have been forgotten.

what children of hoarders have to say

Faced with the crisis of clean up, the last thing children of hoarders need is criticism

Until now.

There is no pharmaceutical treatment for the shame and isolation that children of hoarders carry with them into adulthood.

But that doesn’t mean they have to go it alone in their struggle to heal and make sense of their experience.

The best help is found in coming out of the shadows of shame and embarrassment by finding a place to be together with others who understand, with other people who can lift the burden of isolation.

And that place begins at the Children of Hoarders website.

support children of hoarders

The hoarder’s illness travels with the children when they leave

The COH group is a grassroots, all-volunteer, not-for profit organization made up of adult children of hoarders.

They are dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the unique challenges facing children of hoarders, while helping them to support themselves and each other.

They come together with a firm belief that by working together, they can improve the lives of children from hoarded homes.

unsung heroes of mental illness

The unsung heroes of hoarding disorder are the children who carry the memory of the hoard with them into adulthood

In their 8th year online, the Children of Hoarders organization connect other COH through their website, their Facebook page, and through their Yahoo! Group.

Children of Hoarders are finally talking about the family secret. And, they have one message: Your voices matter, and you have been heard.

Remember: You are NOT alone! Your parent’s living conditions are not now and never were, your fault.

Click these links to begin your journey:

Blogs by Children of Hoarders

And, if you live in the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region here are

Resources for Children of Hoarders in New Jersey

and

Resources for Children of Hoarders in Pennsylvania

And one last thing: If you are an adult child of a hoarder living in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region and are struggling with the crush of your parent’s hoard, and need help with the crisis of cleanup, give us a call.

We’ve helped so many people in our region by connecting them with the resources for support and assisting the hoarder to come clean.

Coupon for help with the crisis of cleanup

In Philadelphia and South Jersey, PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services salutes the unsung heroes of mental health month: Children of Hoarders

Related Posts

  • for families of hoardersHelp for Families of Hoarders – Part III
  • hoarding clean-out donations to charitiesHelp for Children of Hoarders: Hoarding Clean-out Services
  • help for families of hoarders in Philadelphia and Southern New JerseyHelp for Families of Hoarders in Philadelphia – Part II
  • hoarding clean up for Philly and New JerseyHoarding Clean Up: Help For Hoarders and Their Families
  • May is Mental Health Awareness MonthMay is Mental Health Awareness Month
  • Animal Hoarding: February RoundupAnimal Hoarding: February Roundup
  • what is hoarding disorder? a fire safety riskWhat is hoarding disorder?: The new DSM 5 Diagnostic Criteria
  • hoarding disorder: helping families in Philadelphia come cleanHoarding Disorder: Helping Families in Philadelphia Come Clean
  • hoarding clean up for Philly and New JerseyHelp for Hoarders in Philadelphia: Hoarding Cleanup – Part I
  • compulsive buying vs hoarding disorderMay is Mental Health Awareness Month: Compulsive Buying vs Hoarding Disorder
  • tenants with hoarding disorder in Philadelphia, PAHoarding Disorder, Landlords And The Law: A delicate balance
  • Help for the Horrors of Animal HoardingHelp for the Horrors of Animal Hoarding

Share this:

  • Tweet
Categories : Animal hoarding cleanup, Biohazard Clean up, Compassionate Hoarding Cleanup, Help for Children of Hoarders, Help for families of hoarders
Tags : help for children of hoarders, hoarding clean up, hoarding clean up New Jersey, hoarding clean up philadelphia
Previous Post →
← Next Post

Recent Posts from the Blog

30 Tips To Get Your Home Ready For Winter!

December 12, 2017
30 Tips To Get Your Home Ready For Winter!: Are you ready for winter? Here are the top 30 tips to get your home ready PLUS 10 ways to reduce energy costs. Learn more!

Top 30 Tips To Get Your Home Ready For Winter! Winter is just around the corner and in some places has already arrived. PuroClean is proud to serve consumers and business owners in the Philadelphia and Southern NJ areas. One of our goals is to educate and inform our visitors about mold, fire, water, bio-hazard, […]

Read article →

Why Do Christmas Trees Cause Illness?

November 28, 2017
Why Do Christmas Trees Cause Illness?: Do you get sick soon after your Christmas tree is in the home? This article explains why. We also provide you with 8 Xmas tree fire safety tips. Learn more!

Your Christmas Tree Is Not Only A Fire Hazard, But Can Also Make You Sick From Mold! PuroClean is dedicated to informing our customers about mold and the health related concerns it causes. We are also passionate about fire prevention, which is particularly important during the holiday season because of the fire hazards posed by […]

Read article →

Top 10 Tips To Prevent Electrical Fires!

November 14, 2017
Top 10 Tips To Prevent Electrical Fires!: This article give you 10 tips to prevent electrical fires. Plus, we explain how a thermal imaging inspection could identify potential electrical problems!

Ten Tips To Prevent Electrical Fires, The 2nd Largest Cause! One of the core services that PuroClean offers to residents in Philadelphia and Southern NJ is fire and smoke restoration. Our team has helped many home and business owners restore their properties after experiencing a fire or smoke event. PuroClean has so many satisfied customers […]

Read article →

How to Avoid A Clothes Dryer Fire?

October 31, 2017
How to Avoid a Dryer Fire?: Did you know that approximately 15,500 fires are started by clothes dryers each year? This article explains why dirty dryer ducts are a fire hazard and what you can do to protect you and your family.

What Is The Number One Reason Clothes Dryers Are A Fire Hazard? One of the core services that PuroClean offers to residents in Philadelphia and Southern NJ is fire and smoke restoration. Our team has helped many home and business owners restore their properties after experiencing a fire or smoke event. PuroClean has so many […]

Read article →

Concerned About Mold In Schools?

October 17, 2017
Concerned About Mold In Schools?: There have been several high profile stories about mold in schools in Philadelphia and Southern NJ. If you have questions, we have answers!

Got Questions About Mold In Schools? We Have Answers! “Once school started again, he was having breathing issues; he didn’t have any issues over the summer. This is their health and they have to breathe this in. Every single day that they are there, six hours a day that they are at school. I don’t […]

Read article →
PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services
For Immediate 24/7 Response in the Greater Philadelphia and Southern NJ Region, Call 877-750-7876.
Services: Commercial Property Damage Restoration · Fire Damage Restoration · Water Damage Restoration
Mold Damage Remediation · Professional Biohazard Cleanup · Emergency Board Up
Our Team · Customer Reviews · Frequently Asked Questions · Report a Loss · Contact Us
Copyright © 2011-2022 by PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services. All Rights Reserved.
Site Credits