The woman who can throw nothing away (From Oxford Mail)

The woman who can throw nothing away

9:30am Monday 31st January 2011 in News By Dan Hearn

SHE’S the woman who simply can’t throw anything away.

Frances Riches’ Oxford home is full of thousands of books, papers, ornaments and boxes, leaving most rooms unusable.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has cost the 72-year-old her social life and contact with family members over the past two decades.

But now Ms Riches, who lives on Osney Island, is fighting back and vows to lift the stigma attached to Britain’s compulsive hoarders.

She is supporting OCD Action’s campaign week from February 6, which aims to raise awareness of the crippling disorder that affects up to a million people in the UK.

Ms Riches, a Cambridge graduate, says she is slowly starting to win her battle since “coming out” three years ago.

She said: “I am making strides.

“You can now see the floor and tables in my living room, which simply wasn’t possible a few years ago.

“Hoarding carries a huge stigma and most people with it are covered in shame. I can’t tell you why I can’t just throw things away because there are so many reasons.

“You feel like everything is a treasure, full of wonderful memories, and you also believe that one day you will be able to put it to good use.”

Her home has seven rooms, but she can only use the dining room, part of the kitchen, part of one bedroom and the bathroom. The other areas are piled from floor to ceiling with clutter.

Ms Riches, an art therapist, said she even falls out of bed sometimes because of the amount of belongings piled on top of it.

She said: “My hoarding was first triggered while at university when my engagement was broken off.

“But the spiral truly started in the late 1980s when my father died, I lost my job and my marriage broke up within a short period of time.

“Like so many other hoarders, loss formed the basis of my compulsions.”

Now Ms Riches wants to launch a support group in Oxford for other people who may be hoarders.

She said: “The condition has been slightly trivialised, but it is both severe and genuine.

“There is an OCD group in Oxford that has only three other members.

“I can’t believe in a city this size there aren’t other people going through this.

“I want people to understand and discuss the condition more to help rid it of the stigma.”

OCD Action spokesman Joel Rose said: “One of the greatest challenges that people with OCD face is the need to fight both the all-pervasive stigma of mental health disorders and the widely held belief that OCD is a mild or even ‘quirky’ problem that is nothing more than hand washing.

“Many people now use the term ‘a bit OCD-ish’ without understanding the onerous nature of the disorder in its severe form.”

OCD Action’s Awareness Week runs from February 6 to 13.