It’s not unusual to keep sentimental items to look over once in a while and feel the memories flood back to you.
However, there’s a point where this becomes a problem—a 70-year-old woman’s home became so cluttered with the items she hoarded, till only a small pathway and the toilet were left empty.
Her hoarding problem extends beyond herself, too—even her neighbours are concerned for her health and safety.
Severity Of The Situation
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the woman’s flat, located at Block 3 of St George’s Road, was filled to the brim with useless items, leaving only a small pathway and a toilet accessible.
She had been collecting these items for years, to the point that her hoarding resulted in a hygiene and health hazard.
From the corridor alone, it was apparent that the house was extremely cluttered, filled with piles of toys, trinkets, newspapers and other useless items.
The small path left in the living room was incredibly narrow and had only enough space for one person to squeeze through. A row of chairs was set up to enable the homeowner to step into the back kitchen, and items were piled up underneath these chairs.
Why The Hoarding?
The woman in question is 70-year-old Zheng Yafeng, a part-time dishwasher.
According to her, she moved into her flat 30 years ago with her parents, who worked as karung gunis, or scrap dealers. Because of their job, they would often collect old scrap items, so the house originally contained a few of these items as well.
After her parents died, she would often collect items too—these included toys that she liked, decorative objects and other scrap items, till every bedroom of the 3-room flat was occupied, with the only empty space being the toilet.
Ms Zheng expressed that she would tidy up these items in the day, and open the windows for ventilation to ensure there was no odd smell in the house. At night, she would head upstairs to sleep in her aunt’s house—her flat basically only served as a storage space to keep these items. She referred to them as her “宝贝”, a phrase of affection that translates to something like “darling”,” baby”, or “treasures”, in this case.
When asked if she needed anyone to help her clean up and sort out these items, Ms Zheng vehemently refused. She said that this was her own choice, and she was willing to give up on having a comfortable space to stay in to keep them.
She added that simply seeing these items made her feel reassured, and said she did not intend to clean out the house or rent it to anyone else, since she could earn money for living expenses at her part-time job instead.
Additionally, she felt that the house was her personal space. Because she kept it organised and tidy, her hoarding would not result in a health hazard or pose an inconvenience to anyone else.
However, her neighbours don’t seem to agree with her sentiments. According to a neighbour living on the same floor, the items she hoarded would often attract insects, which also affected her neighbours.
Her neighbour had entered her house three to four years ago and found an altar on her kitchen table, and reminded her to clean out these items to prevent a fire from breaking out. She refused, stating that these “treasures” were passed down from her parents.
“Other than the sanitation problems, we’re also concerned for her. Because of her old age, if a fire does break out, there will be serious consequences.” Her neighbour, who does not wish to be named, said.
Hoarding Disorder: What Is It?
According to psychiatrist Hong Rongqian, who works at Adam Road Medical Centre, the woman is suspected to suffer from hoarding disorder, a psychiatric condition classed under the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) spectrum.
People with this condition usually do not realise that this is a problem and a disorder, and often think they are simply collecting items. They cannot accurately judge an item’s value, or realise that their hoarding may inconvenience others. Dr Hong also said that treatment of the condition usually involved medication or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
In Ms Zheng’s case, the reasons behind her condition are complicated, and could be due to genetics or the surrounding environment. It was also possible that she was influenced by her parents’ habit of collecting old items while growing up, and she made it a habit too.
According to a social worker from TOUCH Community Services, Li Fengling, people with hoarding disorders often lack security and feel excessively anxious, resulting in them finding assurance and safety in these objects.
Ms Li had once encountered a homeowner who took more than five years to remove the unnecessary items in his house. The process involved extensive therapy and communication with other volunteers and social workers.
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