What if I can't find a doctor that knows what hoarding is?!

COH & ACOA Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 2018 Location: Cabo

Anyone have any advice or suggestions on this topic that might help others?
Maybe someone lives in a rural area and there are no mental health professionals that know about hoarding--what can a person do then, to get their hoarding loved one help?

COH & ACOA Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 2018 Location: Cabo

First, have you looked here and clicked on your state to see if there is a doctor listed on your state's page?:
http://www.childrenofhoarders.com/bindex.php

Other places for finding a therapist:
ADAA
The Anxiety Disorders Association of America
http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/FindATherapist.asp

ACT
Academy of Cognitive Therapy
http://www.academyofct.org/Library/CertifiedMembers/Index.asp?FolderID=1137&SessionID={EC61773E-31E9-423D-98B7-30903A6D3315}&RLMsg=&SP=

ABCT
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
https://www.abct.org/members/Directory/Find_A_Therapist.cfm

OCD-LA
OCD Center of Los Angeles
List of links that will connect you to over 75 organizations, hospital-based treatment programs, OCD support groups, and treatment providers specializing in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy across the U.S, and around the world.
http://ocdla.com/links.html

OCD therapist list from Obsessive Compulsive Fndn.
You will have to register on their site to access the list.
Note: Make sure the therapist lists "Hoarding" specifically as something they treat-
http://www.ocfoundation.info/register-login.php?accessdenied=%2Ftreatment-providers-list.php

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If your doctor in your area doesn't know about Compulsive Hoarding, I don't know how you could present this to them gracefully, but here is a book written FOR therapists, as guide to how to treat it. It was written by the researcher who has been studying this disorder since around 1985-Dr. Randy Frost (& Gail Steketee):

Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring: Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work Series)
By Gail Steketee, Randy O. Frost
http://astore.amazon.com/childrenofhoa-20/detail/0195300254/103-2867372-5541428

Description (from Amazon): The problem of compulsive hoarding and acquiring is more widespread than commonly believed. It often goes undiagnosed, either because sufferers are ashamed of their compulsions or because they dont believe it is a problem that merits professional attention. As much as two percent of the U.S. population suffers secretly from this condition. However, compulsive hoarding can be an emotionally exhausting, uncontrollable, and sometimes dangerous problem. Written by the developers of this groundbreaking treatment, this manual is the first to present an empirically supported and effective CBT program for treating compulsive hoarding and acquiring.

This guide gives clinicians the information to understand hoarding and proven tools to help clients overcome their compulsive behaviors. It teaches individuals how to recognize errors in thinking and uses both imagined and real exposures to teach them the skills they need to manage their problem. Home visits by the clinician are a part of the treatment, as well as consultations with other professionals who might assist if necessary. Homework exercises include behavioral experiments to test personal beliefs about possessions, developing an organization plan and filing system, and sorting and organizing items room-by-room. Designed to be used in conjunction with the corresponding workbook, this therapist guide provides numerous assessment and intervention forms to help clients use the methods described in this program. Complete with case examples and strategies for dealing with problems, this user-friendly guide is a dependable resource that no clinician can do without.
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Any other ideas?