Here's my non-scientific definition of Hoarding Disorder:  It's a condition that takes over your life, and includes the extra burden of being downright embarrassing. You become the butt of jokes—or the subject of horrifying TV shows.

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Why, friends and family ask, don't you just get rid of stuff? Oh, if only it were that easy!

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Instead, the thought of throwing something out puts you in an actual panic. What if I need it later? What if someone I know could use it? What if it's worth money? What if, what if, what if?

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So you churn and stew. The stuff stays put. You feel guilty and stupid. You snap at those who pressure you, who don't understand why purging is so damned difficult.

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But there's a way forward. The first step is to establish whether you have HD. Click here for the current definition of the beast, as found in the DSM -5.

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You're just getting started. Now click here for a Hoarding Fact Sheet from the International OCD Foundation. I find it clear and comprehensive. It's also suitable for showing to loved ones, if you're ready for that step.

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I know from far too much experience that it can be hard to take all this in, and accept that you have a serious issue. On the other hand, there's the relief that comes from recognizing yourself in those words, and from knowing you're not alone. Far from it.

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A therapist can help you figure out whether you have HD, and what to do about it, but know that surprisingly few are well-schooled in treating it. When looking for a therapist, ask if they're experienced in this area.

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If you establish you have HD, and you're ready to fight it, that's where I come in. Often literally—I'll come to your home, and together we'll figure out what works and what doesn't in reducing your accumulations.

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I also do this work remotely, so it doesn't matter where you live.

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Folks like me who hoard things sometimes hoard electronically as well. I can work with you to reduce permanently all those emails infesting your computer.

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The only kind of hoarding I won't work on—so far, anyway—is animal hoarding. I'm too much of a softy to cope with that.

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My rate (see "Contact") is deliberately low, because I want to be as accessible as possible.

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It's a helluva challenge to clean out a space when your mind has been lying to you all this time that you shouldn't. I understand. If it's time for you to go to war against your HD, you don't have to do it alone.