'I didn't know my hoarding was a mental illness'

Like many people across the country, Susan Lindo is a hoarder. The home she shares with her husband Robert is full of stuff with shelves bursting at the brim and piles of boxes and bags on the floor. One bedroom is completely inaccessible due to the amount of belongings wedged in there. Every night, the 59-year-old from Middlesbrough has to climb over a mountain of bags just to get into bed. She always thought her conditions were born out of laziness, but then an interview with BBC Radio Tees changed her life. While talking to the show about her hoarding, she was told it was a mental health condition. The interview came after Clouds End CIC in Birmingham, who support hoarders,described the behaviour as "a mental health emergency"which required "urgent action". After she put the phone down, Susan had a life-changing realisation, which she describes as a complete shock. Her hoarding behaviour had begun in her childhood, her parents "were exactly the same" and it was "indescribable" what they had in their home, Susan says. That way of living was "normal" and, despite her best efforts not to be like her parents, when she grew up and got a home of her own, she struggled to stop possessions from amassing. "I wasn't brought up to know how to tidy, I didn't even know how to put the vacuum cleaner on," she says. Thankfully, Robert does, and takes on most of the cleaning, washing and disposing of rubbish. The 63-year-old collects books - he reckons he has more than 2,000 - but has not bought any new ones in months. During the revelatory radio interview, Susan heard a warning from Cleveland Fire Brigade about the dangers of hoarding. "Hoarding creates serious fire risks," a firefighter said, adding: "Cluttered homes can easily fuel fires, block escape routes and make it harder for firefighters to respond to emergencies safely." The brigade offers free home safety visits, the spokesman said. "We understand that many people who struggle with it may feel overwhelmed or not fully realise the dangers in their homes." Susan became immediately concerned about the fire risk in her own home, particularly with Robert's collection of books and the reams of paper they contain. They have just one exit mapped out, the front door, as the only alternative - the kitchen door - is blocked by bins. "To get out [in a fire]? I honestly don't think we would," she says. Susan is far from alone in her struggles, according to Hoarding Disorders UK, which offers support. "There has been a tremendous increase in the volume of calls and emails we have received since [the coronavirus pandemic]," a spokesperson says. Hoarding is a mental health and anxiety-based disorder, she explains, and "we are living in anxious times". Rachel Bebbington, a counsellor at Let's Connect in Hartlepool, agrees. The mental health charity started a project in 2024 offering support with decluttering, deep cleans and psychological interventions. Hoarding can range from deep emotional attachments to particular possessions, to a belief that one day a kept item may have a use, Rachel says. There is also often an overlap between hoarding and self neglect, with physical and mental health issues contributing, while for some like Susan it is a learned behaviour from their parents. Many will "bury their head in the sand" or not even realise the extent of their problem, while others will feel embarrassed to let people into their homes, Rachel says. Whatever the source or reason, help is available, she urges. Having realised the extent of her disorder, Susan is now feeling motivated to sort her home. She has tried before, appearing on a TV show in 2021 which saw her house decluttered, however she started hoarding again. This time though she is adamant she will tackle it and regularly takes items to a local charity shop, which makes her feel good to be able to help others. "My ideal is everything in the place as it should be, I need to get it done because enough is enough," she says. She's tackling the mess by chipping away 10 minutes at a time, small chunks so as to not become too overwhelmed by the task. "I know what to do, it's getting my mindset sorted," she says. Susan wants people to know there is help out there for those with the disorder. "People should not feel ashamed of it, cause I'm not ashamed of it, it's just the way I am, the way I've been brought up," she says. "Don't be frightened of asking for help. "I think a lot of people bury themselves in the things they've got, and just think one day it'll [get sorted], but one day might not come." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at theBBC's Action Line. Follow BBC Tees onX,Facebook,NextdoorandInstagram.