{"id":8226,"date":"2022-05-21T09:15:41","date_gmt":"2022-05-21T09:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/?p=8226"},"modified":"2026-08-17T09:42:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T09:42:12","slug":"i-want-a-tidy-life-but-i-cant-do-it-on-my-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/i-want-a-tidy-life-but-i-cant-do-it-on-my-own\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I want a tidy life, but I can&#8217;t do it on my own&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"8226\" class=\"elementor elementor-8226\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15700d2 e-con-full ukhp-post-hero e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"15700d2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-16f5aca e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"16f5aca\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f46d36 e-con-full ukhp-post-meta e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2f46d36\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e774db9 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e774db9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-233463e ukhp-crumb  elementor-widget elementor-widget-eael-breadcrumbs\" data-id=\"233463e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"eael-breadcrumbs.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"eael-breadcrumbs\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"eael-breadcrumbs__content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\">Home<\/a> <span class=\"eael-breadcrumb-separator\">\/<\/span> <\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b3c7495 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b3c7495\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c3665d ukhp-post-cat  elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4c3665d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">News<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6bfc39 ukhp-post-date elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f6bfc39\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">21 May 2022<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-463e28a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"463e28a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69f2fa2 ukhp-post-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"69f2fa2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">'I want a tidy life, but I can't do it on my own'<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a797a5 ukhp-post-standfirst elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a797a5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Edward Brown has helped set up a Blackburn peer support group for people living with hoarding disorder. He told BBC News about the overwhelming psychological distress the condition brings, and the trauma at its root.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-be89b89 e-con-full ukhp-post-featured e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"be89b89\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8c66b8c ukhp-post-featured elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8c66b8c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Edward-Brown-768x429.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-8236\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Edward-Brown-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Edward-Brown-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Edward-Brown.png 796w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f1abeb ukhp-article e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9f1abeb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b52ccc e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0b52ccc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8d2ec2c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8d2ec2c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Edward Brown, 60, is helping run a new peer support group in Blackburn for people living with hoarding disorder. His own flat holds jars, tins, cups, cuddly toys, CDs and bags of items, some overflowing and others waiting to be filled.\u00a0<\/p><p>The peer support scheme is a pilot from Blackburn with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackburn.gov.uk\/\">Darwen Borough Council<\/a> working with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoardinguk.org\/\">Hoarding UK<\/a>, a UKHP member charity. Michelle Rutherford, the council&#8217;s neighbourhood manager, told the BBC that hoarding is a big issue in the borough but much of it is hidden. Sessions run monthly and without judgment. Simply clearing a house, she said, does not resolve the underlying problem and can be deeply traumatic.<\/p><p>Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has also changed how it responds. Edward once faced eviction after a heating engineer reported his flat as a fire hazard, and a fire officer gave him two weeks to sort it. His psychiatrist later called the ultimatum &#8220;totally unrealistic&#8221;. Kirsty McLoughlin, the service&#8217;s hoarding lead, said clearances or short deadlines can retraumatise people. Officers now tailor advice, put emergency escape plans in place and bridge people into other support.<\/p><p>UKHP&#8217;s position, set out in our 2025 open letter to government, is that hoarding is a complex mental health condition that goes beyond clutter or lifestyle. Edward&#8217;s story shows what changes when local services listen instead of imposing deadlines. It also shows how much people who hoard are still expected to solve on their own. In his words: &#8220;I want a nice life, a tidy life, but I can&#8217;t do it on my own.&#8221;<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6f28fd elementor-align-center ukhp-btn-primary elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"d6f28fd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lancashire-61467034\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Read the BBC Article Here<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Edward Brown has helped set up a Blackburn peer support group for people living with hoarding disorder. He told BBC News about the overwhelming psychological distress the condition brings, and the trauma at its root.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":8236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"disabled","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&#039;I want a tidy life, but I can&#039;t do it on my own&#039; - UK Hoarding Partnership<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/ukhp\/i-want-a-tidy-life-but-i-cant-do-it-on-my-own\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;I want a tidy life, but I can&#039;t do it on my own&#039; - UK Hoarding Partnership\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Edward Brown has helped set up a Blackburn peer support group for people living with hoarding disorder. 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