Any hope for hoarder in denial?

SUPPORT THROUGH ADVICE

Recently had to move back in with mother, after a month of work and hauling out actual trash (she filled the spare room with washed and boxed up take out containers/cups) i finally made enough space to move in. I know force decluttering can create trauma and make it worse, so in the main living area ive only thrown away expired food and actual trash like tissues and like 3 trash bags of bottle caps, stuff like that. But now whats left is just stuff. She is at least the kind of hoarder to put everything in labeled boxes but now im surrounded by towers of boxes. This is the third property she has hoarded to capacity and truly believes she is not a hoarder! it is just cosmic coincidence and external factors that have caused her home to be like this!

Is it even healthy to attempt to get her to understand that she is a hoarder? If so are there any tips? Or is it best to try to clean out under a different narrative? Anytime i have gone anywhere near the word “hoarder” she has incredibly volatile reactions and spins out into a denial/blame monologue, so i havent even broached the subject in nearly 10 years now.

Any advice?

Posted Dec 1, 2025, 2:59 AM UTC

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