• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

In this episode, I chat with Carrie Lagerstedt, a professional home organiser specialising in working with neurodivergent people in New Zealand. Carrie, diagnosed with ADHD herself, shares insights on managing clutter and executive dysfunction by creating home systems that work for us. We challenge the very idea of laziness and explore the potential of “may as well”.

Buy your copy at cambridge.org/EverythingHoarding, and get 20% off with the discount code HOARDING20. #ad

• Carrie's background and transition from teaching to organising
• Neurodivergence and Clutter
• Common issues linking neurodivergence with clutter
• Out of sight, out of mind
• Sensory overwhelm and its effect on executive functioning
• Challenges faced by those with executive dysfunction
• Carrie's Experience with ADHD
• Benefits of having ADHD when working with clients with similar challenges
• Building trust through lived experiences and understanding
• Moral neutrality and Organising
• KC Davis' influence on Carrie's philosophy
• Moral neutrality and functionality in organising
• Debunking the concept of laziness
• Challenges of living up to capitalist expectations
• Systems for Neurodivergent Individuals
• Making the home work for individuals
• Difference between aspirational thinking and functional changes
• Importance of practical systems over willpower
• Executive Functioning and Organisational Strategies
• Tools used to aid working memory and organisation (e.g., Post-its)
• Cognitive flexibility and overcoming 'all or nothing' thinking
• Understanding blocks and identifying actionable solutions
• Personal Experiences and Adjustments
• Personal stories and realisations regarding household tasks
• Impact of habituation and changing perspectives on tasks
• Tools and Hacks for Developing Systems
• Categorising as key to organisation
• Using visual reminders and structured systems

Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket

Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe

Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

Today, I'm joined by Dr Jan Eppingstall to unpack "towards moves" and "away moves" in the context of hoarding. These terms might sound unusual, but they're crucial for understanding behaviour in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and how they relate to our values. It's all about recognising whether our actions are leading us closer to what matters or pulling us further away, and we'll be exploring how to identify and pivot those choices.

• Introduction to Towards Moves and Away Moves
• Definition and explanation of the concept.
• The relevance of these moves in dealing with hoarding disorder.
• Initial thoughts on the impact of small actions.
• Examples in a Hoarding Context
• Away moves (e.g., keeping craft supplies, avoiding recognising chaos).
• Towards moves (e.g., donating supplies, acknowledging home environment issues).
• Explanation of how values influence these moves.
• Role of Values in Decision Making
• Importance of determining personal values.
• How values affect choices and provide motivation.
• Impact of materialism and societal pressures on values.
• Cognitive Fusion
• Explanation and examples of cognitive fusion.
• The effect of tightly held beliefs on reality and actions.
• Discussion of accuracy vs. helpfulness of thoughts.
• Flexibility vs. Rigidity and Perfectionism
• Psychological inflexibility and societal expectations.
• The struggle between personal values and societal pressures.
• The concept of emotional flexibility and its importance.
• Recognising Towards and Away Moves
• Strategies for acknowledging and reflecting on these moves.
• Importance of awareness in decision-making processes.
• Dopamine and Pleasure vs. Meaning
• The role of dopamine in pleasure and motivation.
• Discussion on short-term pleasure vs. long-term meaning.
• How these insights influence approach and avoidance behaviours.
• Making Changes and Addressing Moves
• Creating “if-then” plans to anticipate moves.
• Reflecting on decisions and their outcomes.
• Recognising patterns and using past experiences to guide future actions.
• Role of Helpers in Towards and Away Moves
• Identification and importance of helpers like goal setting and values clarification.
• Challenges faced by individuals with attentional deficits.
• Votes for the Person You Want to Be
• Connection between choices and self-identity.
• Concept of actions as votes for future selves.
• First Steps to Take More Towards Moves
• Starting with value clarification exercises.
• Questions to help determine what’s important personally.
• Encouragement to explore inner motivations and experiences.

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/
• Podcasthon
• Mind, the mental health charity
• Support Mind

During a recent drive with a perfectly curated playlist, I had a revelation about cause and effect, particularly how our past behaviours and experiences contribute to both our challenges and our successes. I talk about having a compassionate understanding of how we've arrived at our current situation and how small, mindful actions today can shape a more positive future. The episode also features a discussion on Podcasthon and highlights the UK mental health charity Mind.

• Explanation of Podcasthon: A week where podcasts highlight a charity.
• Mind Charity: Focus on the mental health charity Mind in the UK.
• Audio Clip: Sharing a video of Mind's work, with a translation of a Welsh sentence.
• Cause and Effect Discussion
• Insight through Music: Personal anecdote about creating a playlist for a long drive.
• The role of personal actions in positive outcomes.
• Life and Hoarding: Exploring causes of both positive and negative outcomes in life.
• Factors influencing hoarding: Trauma, scarcity, and mental health challenges.
• Behaviour evolution: Hoarding behaviours becoming normal over time.
• Impact of Life Experiences
• Examining past experiences and their contributions to current behaviours.
• Considering past without judgment as a way to understand hoarding.
• Facing Reality
• Objective Assessment: Evaluating the current state of living conditions.
• Navigating feelings like anger, sadness, and bitterness.
• Future Implications
• Positive Actions: How they can shape a better future.
• Accountability and Responsibility: Recognising the impact of present actions.

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Jan Eppingstall to explore a fascinating angle on hoarding: its artistic side. We'll tackle the connection between creativity and hoarding, including why so many people who hoard are into arts and crafts, and diving into how people who hoard might view their possessions in an unusually aesthetic light. Jan shares insights from both clinical experience and research, offering a fresh perspective on the parallels between art and accumulation. Whether you're a creative type or just curious about the psychology behind collecting, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.

• Curiosity: Example of using curiosity to cope with pain.
• Gratitude: Using the Finch app to practice gratitude daily.
• Journaling: Imperfect journaling as a new approach to managing emotions.
• Arty, Crafty Side of Hoarding
• Trends seen in clients regarding art and hoarding
• The challenge of managing craft supplies in people who hoard
• Analysing Creativity and Hoarding
• Comparison to detectives and acute perception
• Consideration of feeling overlooked
• Struggles with Crafting and Perfectionism
• Challenges in starting and completing craft projects
• Study on Artists and Hoarding
• Traits shared by studio artists and people who hoard
• ADHD and executive dysfunction parallels
• Art and Beauty in Hoarding
• Tendency to keep beautiful things
• Struggles with displaying or appreciating collected items
• Analysis of Andy Warhol's Accumulation
• Discussion of Warhol’s collection as art vs. hoarding
• Socioeconomic and behavioural aspects of collecting vs. hoarding
• Aesthetics and Inclusion in Hoarding
• Discussion of under-inclusiveness in categorising objects
• Exploration of seeing beauty in ordinary objects
• Potential Neurodevelopmental Aspects of Hoarding
• Insights from MRI study
• Brain regions potentially linked to hoarding behaviours
• Using Art to Represent Hoarding Space
• Artists using clutter and hoarding as themes in art
• Questioning the nature of representing hoarding through art
• Fear of Sterile and Soulless Homes
• Addressing the fear that tidiness equals lack of personality
• Discussing clutter core and maximising aesthetic displays

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

In this episode, I'm chatting with Dr. Victoria Ruby-Granger, a psychologist at De Montfort University who has researched how hoarding behaviours develop and the potential for early intervention. We explore the importance of looking beyond physical clutter to understand what possessions mean for those with hoarding tendencies and discuss the role of trauma, loss and life transitions. Plus, we touch on the challenges and potential pathways for early intervention in children and young people.

• Dr. Victoria Ruby-Granger's Path to Studying Hoarding
• Influence of TV programmes about hoarding.
• Curiosity about the development of hoarding behaviours.
• Research on Hoarding Behaviours and Childhood
• Discussion on hoarding behaviours beginning in childhood or adolescence.
• Experiences shared by research participants.
• Understanding 'Struggling to Manage'
• Explanation of the concept derived from research.
• Methods used by Dr. Victoria Ruby-Granger in her research.
• Qualitative study and grounded theory methodology.
• Patterns of Hoarding Development
• Managing possessions and life.
• Emotional attachments and meanings of possessions.
• Impact of life transitions on hoarding behaviour.
• Overcoming Hoarding Challenges
• Importance of support beyond possessions
• Identity and functioning challenges for individuals with hoarding disorder.
• Early Intervention in Hoarding
• Difficulty in identifying people who need early intervention.
• Importance of awareness and understanding childhood behaviours.
• Diagnostic Criteria and Support Challenges
• Discussion on current diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder.
• Difficulties in accessing support without a diagnosis.
• Potential Patterns and Findings in Dr. Victoria Ruby-Granger's Research
• Emotional attachments and decision-making reluctance.
• Preferences for discarding possessions through certain methods.
• Advice for Parents about children showing hoarding behaviours
• Recommendations for parents of children displaying hoarding-related behaviours.
• Importance of communication and understanding the emotional meanings attached to items.
• Emphasis on trauma and loss in hoarding behaviours.
• Importance of understanding personal experiences in hoarding

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

In this episode I chat with Sam, who speaks movingly about growing up with a mother who hoards. Now 28, Sam reflects on the claustrophobic environment, the impact on their self-esteem and organisation, and the ongoing journey to rebuild a relationship with food, space, and self-worth. Whether you're a hoarder, the child of somebody who hoards, or you know someone who is, Sam's story offers a vital perspective on living through - and beyond - the hoard.

• Sam’s experience growing up in a hoarded home
• Importance of understanding perspectives of those affected by hoarding
• Sam’s Childhood Experience
• Description of upbringing in a hoarded home
• Emotional impact and feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety
• Lack of emotional and physical space
• Experiences of shame and comparison with peers
• Coping Mechanisms and Effects on Daily Life
• Sam's view of their home as an obstacle course
• Impact of hoarding on family relationships
• Lack of privacy and its influence on personal development
• Impact on Self-Esteem and Mental Health
• Struggle with self-esteem and self-care
• Connection between environment and depression
• Feelings of negativity and isolation
• School and Social Interactions
• Effect on academic performance and organisational skills
• Challenges in completing schoolwork
• Experiences with friends visiting the home and related anxieties
• Adolescence and Growing Awareness
• Anger and frustration during teenage years
• Lack of external intervention and support
• Missed opportunities for professional help
• External Perception and Professional Insight
• Outside family and societal perceptions of hoarding
• Drip-feeding experiences to others and feeling of overwhelming others
• Relationship with Food and Nutrition
• Negative perceptions of food due to spoiling and smells
• Ongoing struggle with eating certain foods, particularly fruit
• Rebuilding a relationship with food as an adult
• Leaving the Home and Independence
• Sam’s experience and decision to move out at 20
• Challenges and processes involved in leaving the parental hoarded home
• Continued responsibilities in a second hoarded home
• Long-term Effects on Sam’s Adult Life
• Influence on career choice and support work with young carers
• Ongoing challenges with personal organisation and self-care
• Struggles with mental health and burnout
• Sam’s Relationship with Family
• Complex relationship dynamics with parents
• Lack of understanding from parents regarding Sam’s struggles and decisions
• Reflection on parental insight into hoarding and its effects on family
• Current Relationship with Hoarding and Cleaning
• Sam’s approach to possessions
• Emotional responses to cleaning and organising tasks
• Developing the skillset for maintaining an organised living space
• Message for Others Experiencing Similar Situations
• Encouragement for other young carers and children of hoarders
• Importance of self-worth and identity outside of hoarding stigmas
• Strategies for mental health and personal growth
• Final Thoughts and Reflections
• Reflections on how sharing and exploration helps understanding
• Hope for the interview to be beneficial to listeners with similar experiences

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

Today, I'm reflecting on 11 unexpected lessons I've picked up since starting this podcast, which go beyond just understanding hoarding disorder. From learning the power of showing progress rather than perfection, to discovering the benefits of stepping out of my comfort zone, I'll share insights that have influenced not just my journey with hoarding, but life as a whole.

Let's see how the themes of mistakes, progress, and learning can apply to anyone seeking positive change.

• Importance of showing progress instead of aiming for perfection
• Personal struggle with early episodes and progression over time
• Decision to keep early episodes live as a reflection of journey and growth
• Examining Contradictions
• Realisation of contradictions in personal life versus podcasting
• Applying podcast editing philosophy to home tidying
• Capabilities and Achievements
• Realisation of being able to do things previously thought impossible
• Learning from incremental progress and its application to life
• Comfort Zones
• Exploring stepping outside of comfort zones
• The rewards of nudging the edges and expanding comfort zones slowly
• Learning and Growth
• Starting from minimal knowledge and continuously learning
• Academic engagement and gaining comprehensive understanding
• Sticking to a Routine
• Maintaining a consistent schedule and routine with the podcast
• Role of accountability and motivation in sticking to a routine
• Adaptability and Change
• Ability to learn, adapt, and tweak processes over time
• Application of flexibility learned from podcasting to personal life
• Community and Accountability
• Impact of accountability and community support on podcasting and life
• Building mutual support through interactions and feedback
• Facing Mistakes and Reality
• Embracing mistakes and authenticity rather than striving for flawlessness
• Shifting perspective on self-perceived failures
• Respect and Compassion from Others
• Receiving respect from guests and listeners despite personal doubts
• Impact on self-compassion and self-respect
• Transferability of Learning
• Applying lessons learned in podcasting to other areas of life
• Recognising that growth in one area can benefit others
• Reflections on the transformative impact of the podcast on life
• Encouragement to pursue growth and new experiences beyond direct goals