Who am I

Hello, my name is Emma, and I am a hoarder, but don’t feel sorry for me because the story I am about to tell you is full of sunshine and rainbows (after the storm). 

I lived in a hoarded flat for over a decade, but I had no idea that hoarding was a result of mental health issues. I believed that I was just a naturally messy person who needed to grow up. However, the amount of stuff in my one-bedroom flat was completely overwhelming, and I had no idea where to start. The idea of showing anybody else the state of my flat filled me with dread and anxiety, so I just shut out the world and hid in my hoard.

In January 2024, my landlord gave me the heads up that he was thinking of selling. I thought this was the exact motivation I needed to get my life back on track. I found a new place to rent and began sorting through everything and letting a lot of things go. I was in denial about the actual amount and thought I had plenty of time to sort things. As the moving date got closer, I felt as though somebody turned on the lights and I could finally see the extent of my hoarding. After having a huge mental breakdown, I finally asked for help from my family. They, of course, came straight in to help me clear the hoard and move into my new house. During this time, some family members began to research hoarding disorder and reassured me that this was a mental health condition and not a character flaw. In the end, we had to call a professional clearance company to finish clearing the old flat out, and then recovery could begin.

This is why I started The Hopeful Hoarder TikTok channel. My hoard was gone, but I could share my experiences to make others feel less lonely and to show the world that there is much more to hoarding than just mess. As I did more research to try and understand my own brain, I shared these experiences to help others understand why they, or a loved one, struggle to let items go.