Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[Sam_and_Tinx]

Hi Everyone, 

I'm new. I'm certain my mum has hoarding disorder, or tendencies at the very least. 

Does anyone know of any support groups in the Eastern Suburbs that I could join?

Thanks everyone

[*edited by SANE to remove identifiable name]

[tyme]

Hi @Sam_and_Tinx ,

Welcome to the forums!

I hope you will get the support you need.

As we are an Australia-wide service, which state were you referring to for support groups in the 'Eastern Suburbs'?

Also, a friendly reminder that our guidelines ask members maintain 'ANONYMITY' so any identifying information cannot be posted. You can read more about our guidelines here: https://saneforums.org/t5/help/faqpage/title/community-guidelines

Hope you are able to connect with others here on the forums.

See you around the forums.

[Sam_and_Tinx]

Thanks for getting back to me. Sam is a pseudonym.
When I mentioned "Eastern Suburbs" I was referring to anything in Sydney NSW, ideally in the Botany, Maroubra, Matraville area. I'm happy to travel.
Even an online group would be helpful

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Sam_and_Tinx 

I just wanted to reach out to welcome you to the forums - it’s great to have you here 💜

I really love how you’re trying to find the resources that you need to take care of your mental health and wellbeing and as such, I think that participating in a support group is a wonderful idea 💜

I just completed a quick google search and from what I could see, Lifeline provide a support group called ‘Family As Motivators’ which has been designed especially for people who are caring for someone who is living with a hoarding disorder 💜

I wasn’t too sure if this is the type of support that would be helpful for you and so I’ve just shared the link to this particular group below - just in case you would like to take a look 😊

https://lifelineh2h.org.au/get-help/groups/compulsive-hoarding-treatment-program/family-motivators/

As I sat here thinking about the type of support that you’re searching for, I wondered if some of the following resources may also be helpful for you 💜

The first resource that I wanted to share with you is Carers NSW 😊

Basically, Carers NSW provide a variety of different services (including support groups) for people who are caring for a friend or family member 💜

Although (just from what I could see 😊) the support groups don’t specifically focus on supporting people who are caring for a loved one who is living with a hoarding disorder, they may still be able to offer you a safe and supportive space to share some of your own experiences and receive support 💜

As such, I’ve just shared the link to this particular service below - just in case you would like to take a look 😊

https://www.carersnsw.org.au/services-and-support/programs-services

The second resource that I thought may be helpful for you is Carer Gateway 😊

Basically Carer Gateway provide emotional and practical services and support for carers and as such, they provide in person and telephone counselling, online skills courses and in person and online peer support groups 😊

Although their peer support groups don’t specially focus on supporting people who are caring for a loved one who is living with a hoarding disorder, there may be other people who can relate to your experiences 💜

As such, I’ve just shared the link to this section of their website just in case you would like to browse through their website 😊

https://www.carergateway.gov.au/about/peer-support-groups?cta

Lastly, I just wanted to share a little bit of information about SANE’s drop in service - just in case you felt that you needed some additional support for yourself 😊

Basically, ‘SANE drop-in services are staffed by qualified team of counsellors and people with lived experience of mental health issues who will provide you with free digital and telehealth support, information and referrals.’

I’ve reached out to this service numerous times and I’ve always had a really positive experience where I felt listened to and really well supported 💜

As such, you’re more than welcome to contact them Monday to Friday from 10.00am until 10.00pm (AEST) on: 1800 187 263.

I’ve just included the link to this particular service below, just in case you would like to explore this further 😊

https://www.sane.org/get-support/drop-in-service

Also, just while I remember, one of the things that really helped me when I was new to the forums and still finding my way around, was that if you would like to chat with another forum member, or reply to one of their posts, place @ in front of their username just like I did at the start of my post to you i.e. @Sam_and_Tinx that way, they will receive a message that you have contacted them 😊

I hope that this helps you a little bit and please know that you’re always welcome to reach out here whenever you need to 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[Sam_and_Tinx]

@ShiningStar 

Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and find those resources for me. 

A few I'd found, and a few more were new to me, and will check them out. 

Thank you again,

Sam_and_Tinx

[tyme]

Hey @Sam_and_Tinx ,

Just wanted to quickly let you know that I have adited your sign-off to your username, Sam_and_Tinx due to our anonymity guideline.

You can read our guidelines here: https://saneforums.org/t5/help/faqpage/title/anonymity

Look forward to seeing you around!

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Sam_and_Tinx 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

It was my pleasure to share these resources with you and I’m so happy to hear that they were helpful 😊

I would love to hear how you’re travelling with everything - but only if this is something that feels comfortable for you to share 💜

In the meantime, please remember that you’re always welcome to reach out here whenever you need to 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[Sam_and_Tinx]

@ShiningStar 

I'm travelling considerably better than I was a few weeks ago. I've attended a "buried in treasures" information night where I gained a few book recommendations for help me gain insight, one is called Burried in Treasures, and the other is called Stuff. I am yet to read them, but knowing I have these at my disposal has been helpful. 

I've also scheduled appointments with my psychologist/psychiatrist, which always helps me reset; I have a strong support network. 

And I've spoken to the person in question (gently of course) about the psychological impact their tendencies have. 

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Sam_and_Tinx 

It’s so lovely to hear from you - thank you so much for sharing some of the things that have been happening for you 💜

I’m so pleased to hear that you’re travelling so much better than you were a few weeks ago and just from what you’ve shared, it sounds as though you’ve been incredibly busy 😊

Wow! That’s great that you’ve already attended an information night and have a few additional resources up your sleeve! I’ve only ever read a brief overview about this particular program and as such, I just wondered if it’s something that you feel will be helpful for you?

In my experience, having difficult and sensitive conversations with our loved ones can be incredibly challenging and as such, I just ever so gently wondered how this was for you?

I think that it’s great that you’ve scheduled an appointment with your Psychologist and Psychiatrist and that you have a strong support network around you 💜 In my experience, receiving the care and support that we need, can make such an amazing difference to our overall mental health and wellbeing 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜