Barry Kopulos in his downtown apartment. (Brian Donogh, Sun Media)

Most people would be horrified to receive an eviction notice, but for Barry Kopulos it was exactly what he needed to clean up his act.

Until a few days ago, Kopulos's downtown apartment was filled with thousands of magazines, newspapers, books and other items he hoarded as a result of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

"A couple of years ago I thought I might just be ... a pack rat," he said yesterday.

Since then he has sought a professional opinion, which confirmed he's more than just a collector.

"I can't have friends over. I lose things. You have a very strong attachment to things," said Kopulos. "I was almost killed by a pile of books that fell over."

Kopulos said he wasn't angered by the eviction notice he received. He said he understands ceiling-high piles of papers are a fire hazard and that landlords need to protect their interests.

Kopulos said he told his landlord about his disorder.

"You're not dealing with someone who is a lazy bastard ... I'm an OCD hoarder. I was very open," he said.

With the help of friends and family, Kopulos is now working to rid his one-bedroom apartment of everything he doesn't need.

So far he's filled two dumpsters and a storage locker with garbage and items he just doesn't have room for, even taking a few days off work to make sure he beats the eviction deadline and is able to stay in the apartment he has called home for the last 10 years.

Kopulos said his landlord has been accommodating, giving him additional time to finish the cleanup.

The security guard, nearing his 50th birthday, said the cleanup has given him a fresh start and he hopes others with OCD will take heart from his experience.

"It's a very serious issue," said Kopulas. "I'm coming out of the closet, in a way."

He also noted he has been documenting his experience on video and intends to make a sort of documentary about his struggle to keep his apartment.

"Hoarding may be a symptom of OCD," said Dr. Michael Stambrook, a Winnipeg psychologist, adding the anxiety disorder is based around activities and compulsions used to lessen anxiety.

"It is under-treated and under-diagnosed ... something that can lead to life-threatening behaviour."

Stambrook said cognitive therapy is often used to treat the disorder and medication is a possibility as well.

However, the severity of OCD will vary throughout a person's life.

http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2007/09/25/4523556-sun.html