Reminder! Our very own Leslie McKee will be featured during Pittsburgh Today Live with Kristine Sorensen Monday, December 5th between 9 -10am. Leslie will be discussing over-shopping as it pertains to the holiday, how it effects you daily, and how to deal with it.

Look for tips on how to identify over-shopping habits and watch for information about how to gain control of your shopping habits.

WHY IS OVER-SHOPPING A PROBLEM?

• Our economic growth is dependent upon selling goods to people whose needs are already met!
• Studies show that the more we acquire after our basic needs are met, the less fulfilling those acquisitions are. Therefore the tendency is to buy more to get the same feeling.
• Studies show that the more someone believes material things bring true happiness, the more likely that person is to suffer from depression, stress and anxiety. College students report 70% feel being VERY wealthy will mean they will be happy. This sets the stage for widespread discontent.
• It is proven that too many choices leave us feeling befuddled and over stimulated yet- 5.8 % of US adults are over shoppers. That is 17 million people.
• 3 out of 5 Americans who carry credits cards carry credit card debt. One half owe more than 6,600 and 13% owe over 25k.
• Our country is reporting negative personal savings which happened in 1932,1933 during the great depression.

This is twice as high as the percentage of people diagnosed with OCD.  This statistic is interesting because it conflicts with the idea that HOARDING is a subset of OCD.  Studies are being done to differentiate the two and see how often several co-morbid conditions come into play in hoarding situations.  In fact 92% of individuals that hoard have been diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders.  The issue is further complicated because 85% of hoarders report having a first degree relative who demonstrates a hoarding behavior.  This condition makes it hard to discern what is genetic and what is learned.

After attending the NSGCD Conference in Austin in September it became evident that organizers are leading the way to find tools and strategies to help these clients.  They have developed rating scales that can be used by other professionals like therapists, emergency personnel and family members to easily designate where hoarders are on a spectrum of the disorder.  NSGCD has developed training and certifications specifically on hoarding to help professionals help their clients.

One of the pitfalls of working with hoarders is not understanding how they think.  You can see them burying themselves alive and often they are only concerned with the smallest minutia.  This obsession with detail is common and to ignore it creates an immediate lack of trust in you and in the process.  Success means taking time to build the foundation, make small changes and build upon them.

Their pain in letting go is real.
Their beliefs are real.
Their inability to see or define clutter is real.

It is our job to be a partner and make lasting behavior change.  Anyone can toss items in a dumpster; we are here to make a difference in thinking and behavior.