30,000 Messies
When the home becomes a stinking garbage dump
An apartment where no garbage has been disposed of for 30 years. The garconnière of a young woman who collects used tampons and places them around her bed: Around 30,000 messies live in Austria. This is the name given to people who suffer from the compulsion to hoard used and useless things. A "Krone" look into Austria's messy households - with shocking pictures.
Imagine living in an apartment overflowing with waste and dirt. Would you feel comfortable there? Hardly. Messies, on the other hand, do like the chaos they produce to a certain extent. The items they collect are often of great emotional value to them because they associate certain memories and experiences with them, says Abdul Polat (40), the founder, managing director and president of "Messie Austria", Austria's first and only association that deals with the complexity of the messy home syndrome.
"Since the pandemic, this phenomenon has been on the rise throughout Austria because many people have lost a supportive structure in their lives due to job loss, broken relationships and social isolation. The current crises are also causing them problems," he says. That's why he founded the association a few months ago.
An affliction with far-reaching consequences
The services offered by the social worker and life coach in all federal states include not only decluttering, tidying and basic cleaning, but also support for those affected and their relatives. For example, his company works together with social and health associations and a lawyer who represents messies in court when they have problems with their tenancy agreements. Their pathological behavior also affects their environment.
"Family and friends are often denied access to their own four walls out of shame. But neighbors, the municipality, landlord, property management and authorities are also involved, as garbage can attract vermin and lead to a strong odor nuisance. If premises are not maintained and serviced in accordance with tenancy law because chimney sweeps, plumbers and heating engineers can no longer even get in the door, there is a risk of eviction and homelessness," explains Polat.
Many Messies don't show their problem
To prevent this from happening, Messie Austria works with psychosocial counselors. However, you can't always see the neglect that exists in their homes: "Many Messies are professionally successful and appear very well-groomed in terms of their appearance. Many of my clients are pastors, doctors, nurses, scientists or ministry employees. A striking number of them also work in the care sector or look after needy relatives. They sacrifice themselves for everyone, but they don't have time for themselves," says Polat.
Childhood also plays a decisive role. Some clients come from unstable family backgrounds, others were "mother's prince" or "father's princess" and never learned to look after themselves: "So behind every mess are personal stories and strokes of fate."
Between dog debris and mouse droppings
Just recently, Polat cleaned an apartment in Vienna where no garbage had been disposed of for 30 years. In Lower Austria, he cleaned the garconnière of a young woman who collected used tampons and placed them around her bed. In Burgenland, he visited a widow who had not walked her dog for a year and a half. The dog therefore did his business in the house and on the terrace. But why did she never take him outside?
"After the children moved out and her husband died, the animal was everything to her. Ever since she fell while walking him one winter's day, broke her hip and the four-legged friend ran away, she was afraid of losing him. So she locked herself up with him to be on the safe side. Polat also remembers a pensioner from southern Burgenland who lived with mice for decades. Although his house - a dive - had no heating, it was pleasantly warm inside because of all the garbage. He was contacted by the mayor of the municipality where the pensioner lived.
Adelheid Waldherr, Psychosoziale Beraterin und Supervisorin in Wien und dem Burgenland, über die Hintergründe des Messie-Syndroms.
„Krone“: Ist Sammeln eine Krankheit?
Adelheid Waldherr: Ja, wenn es sich um pathologisches Horten handelt und dieses bei einem selbst und anderen Leiden verursacht. Diese Zwangsspektrumsstörung zeichnet sich durch eine Störung der Wertbeimessung und Selbstregulationsschwäche aus.
„Krone“: Welche Ursachen stecken dahinter?
Oft geht es um nicht bewältigte Trauer, Verlustängste, Traumatisierungen sowie um Mangelgefühle und die Angst vor wirtschaftlich schlechten Zeiten. Dann denkt man: „Irgendwann könnte ich dieses und jenes vielleicht noch brauchen.“ Viele Messies wurden in der Kindheit emotional im Stich gelassen. Zuwendung wurde mit materiellen Dingen kompensiert. Deshalb haben manche Gegenstände, die ihre Leere füllen, einen unglaublichen ideellen Wert für sie. Ihr Verlust käme einem Kontrollverlust gleich. Oft geht krankhaftes Horten auch mit Aufschieberitis und fehlendem Antrieb, Depression, Sucht, Demenz und sozialer Isolation einher.
„Krone“: Welche Art von Hilfe empfehlen Sie?
Betroffene sollten sich eine Haushaltshilfe zulegen oder eine Wohnassistenz in Anspruch nehmen. Auch Coachings, Psychotherapie und der Kontakt zu Selbsthilfegruppen ist ratsam.
He dreads nothing
"I've seen and smelled so much that nothing shocks me anymore," explains Polat. Nevertheless, he never enters a messy person's home wearing a mask or gloves. He doesn't want to make anyone else feel disgusted, he says.
But how does he manage to gain access to their home as a stranger? "I first meet my customers in a coffee shop or outside their home to talk to them and gain their trust. That always works. And do you know why I like my job so much? Because at the end of the day, it looks different and I can improve these people's lives."
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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