By Jeneé Darden
A few trips to the dump or the donation lot or the thrift store can relieve some people who have too much stuff. However, to be so overloaded with things that it affects your mental health and safety is a more serious issue. Luckily, there’s hope. PEERS is helping those struggling with too many possessions through their program Buried Treasures.
“Buried Treasures is a support group for hunters, gatherers, collectors and folks who simply have too much stuff, but not enough space,” says PEERS Outreach Coordinator Kozi Arrington.
Kozi co-leads the workshop with Program Coordinator Zakiaya Johnson. The group meets two hours weekly, for 19 weeks. Zakiya says they don’t refer to the participants as “hoarders” because of the negative connotations associated with the word.
“We’re all about eliminating stigma and making this a safe place,” says Zakiya. “We don’t want to make them feel like something’s wrong with them.”
Buried Treasures members aren’t alone in their struggles of possessing too much. In 2016, the Washington Post reported that compulsiveness affects about 19 million Americans.
“They’re imprisoned by all of their stuff,” says Zakiya.
Different factors lead to compulsive collecting and storing. Kozi explains, “It could be growing up in poverty and being deprived of things. So there’s a fear of not having what you need. Or you want to hold on to things you inherited from a deceased loved one.”
Zakiya adds, “A common ground for a lot of our participants of how they started [collecting] is the fear of getting rid of something and not having it when they need it. So they just always come up [with an excuse of], why they would need it, even if they never get to use it.”
There are different types of clutter. Examples of digital clutter are having an inbox full of emails or a computer desktop covered in files. Physical clutter can be dangerous causing people to fall and injure themselves. The absence of clear paths in a home makes it difficult to escape or be rescued in case there’s a fire. Rodents and insects make their habitat in piles of stuff, which can lead to other health issues for the resident.
Members of Buried Treasures are doing the work to recover from over-collecting. Their learning materials include the book “ Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding.” They’re assigned challenges such as not acquiring non-essential items when shopping. Before the COVID pandemic, participants removed stuff from their homes and left them in the PEERS office for a week. That allowed them to see how it felt to be without those things. Now with the meetings being on Zoom, participants can voluntarily turn on their cameras and show the progress they’ve made in decluttering their homes.
For Zakiya and Kozi the participants’ small accomplishments mean a lot, even if it’s just clearing a corner.
“I remember a guy who said, ‘Wow I actually have a [drawer] to put my socks and underwear,’” says Kozi.
The group is not a cure for compulsive collecting. Zakiya and Kozi are focused on helping people to get the ball rolling in decluttering. They enjoy seeing participants’ excitement and motivation about their progress. Zakiya recalls one group member who hadn’t cleared their dining table in years. The support in the workshop gave them the will to clear their table, and host guests at their homes during the holidays.
“That motivation,” says Zakiya, “helps them have a better tomorrow. To hear the hope they have after the program and how they’re challenging themselves to do better is a victory.”