After Fire, A Tale Of Compulsive Hoarding

At a Patrick Lane house fire last month, firefighters used an odd term in describing the fire. ​“Collyer,” they said in talking to each other.

They were referring to the brothers found dead in their New York mansion under more than 100 tons of junk. The year was 1947. Ever since then the term ​“Collyer brothers” has come to mean serious hoarding.

Assistant Fire Chief Shaun Heffernan took the example of the Patrick Lane fire to help lead a discussion on hoarding last week at the Canoe Brook Senior Center. He said it was time to let the public become aware of the problem and to find a way to seek help. He also wanted to let the public know that Branford was not immune from the hoarding disorder.

“We’ve seen it in Branford,” he said. ​“There have been a dozen or so cases…”

About 20 seniors showed up for the talk. Heffernan was joined by Jane Corvin, a clinical social worker with the Branford Counseling Center and Alex Cinotti and Barbara DeSerio of the East Shore District Health Department. They discussed the myriad reasons for hoarding and how to seek help to solve them. 

Heffernan said that hoarding may lead to a fire and the destruction of a house, as it did at Patrick Lane April 17. It may prevent or delay firefighters and paramedics from getting into a blazing house. At Patrick Lane, firefighters also encountered high trees and shrubs that created a barrier from the street, making it difficult to get into the house.

The owner of the Patrick Lane house seemed as shocked as any homeowner whose house had been destroyed. He saw the smoke from the fire as he was returning home and suspected it may have been his house. When interviewed by the Branford Eagle shortly after the fire, he said if he had been home, he probably would not have made it out since his den was adjacent to the garage where the fire started. He was grateful that his mother no longer lived with him, but regretted the loss of his African Grey Parrot he had raised ​“from an egg.” He had purchased the house 20 years ago.

Sometimes, Heffernan said, hoarding is discovered through a related incident, such as an emergency call where the stretcher can’t make it through the door because of the clutter. He emphasized the danger of hoarding. ​“Everyone is at risk,” he said, adding that the clutter made it difficult to gain access to the house to safely fight the fire on Patrick Lane.

“The official cause of the fire will be ruled undetermined. The point of origin was just inside the overhead of the garage door,” Heffernan said. ​“Due to the presence of an excessive amount of combustibles as well as the storage of gasoline, oil, camping fuel, two lawn mowers, a motorcycle, furniture, commercial power tools and various stored items, we are unable to determine a cause at his time. The case will remain open pending additional information.”

Hoarding, which has recently gained attention through a series of reality television shows, is characterized by the accumulation of possessions, collections and garbage to the point where conditions become unlivable, even dangerous and unhealthy. Those caught up in the cycle, often but not exclusively senior citizens have trouble parting with the smallest shred of paper or article of clothing.

They become alienated from family and friends who experience frustration when attempting to offer help. Their health is affected by being trapped in their surroundings: they can’t move freely so they’re prone to obesity and they’re often breathing foul air. It’s been characterized as an obsessive-compulsive disorder that requires intense therapy to control. Mental health workers make it clear that it’s not a simple matter of going in and cleaning up a house since the root of the problem is not addressed and the individual is likely to start collecting all over again. And it’s a problem that can be found in any socio-economic class and age group.

These points were all reiterated by the speakers.

“Hoarding erodes the quality of life,” said Corwin. ​“It increasingly isolates [the hoarders] from family and friends.” Seniors often do not have the strength to move things and become overwhelmed. Corwin said that hoarders are not dirty or lazy or do not care. ​“In fact, they care too much,” she said.

Corwin said hoarders need respect, compassion and deep understanding. The condition can be reversed only when a person changes his or her behavior.

There’s an estimated 700,000 to 1.4 million hoarders in the US and that number may be as high as 3 million to 6 million, since the disorder is often shrouded in secrecy as it was in the case of the Collyer brothers.

Heffernan also discussed a hoarding situation in a local condominium. The place was completely cleaned up about two years ago and a photo taken just three weeks ago shows piles of garbage throughout the rooms. The condo is now uninhabitable and its occupant is staying elsewhere. In another situation, the well-manicured exterior of a house hid the hoarding within. In yet another, a refrigerator was running outside on an extension cord because there was no room inside.

Hoarding is often revealed through zoning violations. Neighbors report a yard full of trash, which leads to a visit by the fire marshal who determines whether a fire hazard exists. Social services is summoned to counsel the individual and the local health department determines if the living quarters meet minimum standards, which include working bathroom fixtures, hot and cold running water, heat, and lack of infestation; they receive referrals from the VNA, fire department, families and neighbors. Unimaginably, Heffernan said he’s found 10 to 15 5‑gallon buckets full of human waste.

“We want safe compliance,” said Heffernan. That may require obtaining a search warrant to gain access to a house. ​“Yes, it is the town’s problem,” he added.

Jane Corwin explained that the causes of hoarding can date to traumatic childhood incidents; symptoms may become more pronounced with age or may be part of an empty nest syndrome. There may be genetic connections, but it’s almost always seen as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. She said hoarders live with high levels of stress and anxiety from being defensive against the shame they feel.

“Items make people feel secure,” she said. ​“They replace love.”

Corwin explained that hoarders perceive things as an investment and their collections valuable, even though it may be a collection of twist ties. Despite the tendency toward isolation, some hoarders look normal and function well in society.

Animal hoarding also surfaces regularly. Cats especially are targeted by hoarders since they are small and can be well hidden; they may number in the hundreds before the problem is made public.

Corwin said treatment consists of cognitive behavior therapy and medication, adding that early screening is effective. Therapists and professional organizers work with the hoarders to help them understand their behavior and sort through their belongings. Support groups are available.

There can be a happy ending. Heffernan said that he visits regularly with a couple who had been caught up in hoarding. They now share coffee and tea at a clean kitchen table in a tidy home.

For more information or to seek help, call the Branford Counseling Center at 203 – 481-4248, or visit the website Children of Hoarders .

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