How woman who nearly lost her home through hoarding reached out for help

Ruth Cookson had always struggled to let go of things.

But as she grew up, the compulsion to hang on to objects – from the valuable to the worthless – became more and more of a problem.

And by the coronavirus lockdown, it had put her at risk of losing her home.

“Colouring books, kitchen utensils, clothes, coats, anything you could think of, I was hoarding it,” Ruth told the BBC.

“And I didn’t get one – it was two, three, four.”

Her one-bedroom flat in Leasowe on Merseyside had become unlivable.

She found herself literally having to climb over piles of rubbish to get through her hallway or into her kitchen, bathroom or bedroom.

Her living room floor was virtually invisible under the mounds of boxes, carrier bags and containers, and replacements for things she’d lost in the mess.

Ruth, 53, said: “With the amount of stuff that I had, when I couldn’t find it, I’d go out and buy something else. Then, when I couldn’t find that, I’d go out again and bought another one. And then you could guarantee I’d have three, four, five of the same item.

“But then, when it comes to getting it all cleared, the difficulty is letting it all go.”