'There is hope for compulsive hoarders'

David Woods has a weakness for books, magazines and DVDs. Until recently the rooms in his home in Edinburgh were filled-to-bursting with a collection he had amassed over many years.

But David is not a collector - he has a problem with compulsive hoarding.

It became so bad that the clutter in his hallway made it difficult to get through his front door, and a "big mountain of stuff" in his bedroom meant he couldn't get to his bed.

Now, with the help of Linda Fay, of cluttering and hoarding specialists LifePod, David's home has become a much safer place to live.

She told BBC Radio Scotland's Kaye Adams' programme that David was struggling with day-to-day life until he began working with LifePod.

"In David's bedroom there was no floor space, you couldn't get to his bed, she said. "There was a big mountain of stuff in the middle of his room. I say stuff - it was books, magazines, DVDs.

"Even in the hallway, trying to get in the front door is difficult because you are manoeuvring round stuff."

And she said one support worker had been a regular visitor to the home for more than a year before she realised he had a fire place in his living room.

"Just moving around the house was difficult," she added.

David said he hoarded possessions to "fill a void" and it was a difficult habit to kick.

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