In this episode of Triggorama, Christine Sansom speaks with Kara Kelly, a case manager who has supported people with hoarding and chronic disorganization for more than 15 years through the Clearing Clutter program. Kara unpacks why this concern is often hidden, highly stigmatized, and misunderstood, and explains how shame, anxiety, grief, perfectionism, indecision, and fear of making mistakes can make letting go feel impossible.

The conversation explores common misconceptions, the emotional meaning attached to items and how loss can be a major trigger for collecting and difficulty discarding. Kara also discusses risks like eviction and unsafe living conditions, and why cleaning everything out without consent can deepen trauma and restart the cycle. Kara and Christine highlight what helps most: empathy, respectful language, small achievable steps (“small is huge”), and peer support that reduces isolation and builds confidence over time.

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