PLEASE also watch the video that follows it ("How to help someone struggling with their mental health") and other videos by BBC Ideas, especially if you want to learn more about things like (for example):
- Artificial Intelligence (AI);
- how to make meetings less boring;
- forever chemicals;
- why exercise feels easier when you're not alone
- the freak accident that changed our understanding of the human brain!
You may have lots of belongings, but you only have one body.
So, be sure to mention any physical and behavioural symptoms you're experiencing when using our Hoarding Icebreaker form to start a conversation with your GP.
For example, even though you may not FEEL stressed here's an illustration from the World Health Organization (WHO) giving a few examples of how stress might affect you.
Other indicators of stress or anxiety can include: dizziness; low energy; emotional changes (irritability; feeling overwhelmed; low mood) and behavioural shifts (sleep changes; social withdrawal; difficulty concentrating; increased smoking, drinking, eating, acquiring items, playing computer games, etc).
If you already have underlying health problems, stress and anxiety can make them worse.
Talking to your GP as soon as you feel unwell is far more likely to help reduce the risk of your health deteriorating long-term. The alternative is to say nothing and potentially become so chronically unwell (because your body is even more stressed) that your health (and your home) may never recover.
Stress can cause:
❤️🩹 headaches
❤️🩹 neck and shoulder pain
❤️🩹 lack of appetite
❤️🩹 back pain
❤️🩹 a heavy chest
❤️🩹 tight muscles
❤️🩹 an upset stomach
Pausing, breathing, and reflecting through slow breathing techniques can help to reduce stress
19/01/2026
Absolutely agree!
Never underestimate the weight of the worry you carry and how it impacts on your ability to function.
I heard today that someone I love very very much is now free of cancer. 🍾
I felt a load leave me in a way that we don’t notice it build. And now I want to nap or go for a run to reset my nervous system.
Whatever you are carrying, put it down sometimes with some intentional numbing.
Things like hard physical exercise, reading a book, taking a nap, socialising (but not talking about the thing), doing a puzzle, even bing watching tv or gaming - as long as they have an end point, are good for you. They make it possible for you to cope the rest of the time.
By contrast, unintentional numbing is when you lose yourself without meaning to, without an end point, or in a self-destructive way. This will happen if you don’t plan in the first bit.
Make time for your wellness, or you’ll have to make time for you illness.
Life is heavy.
Put it down sometimes.
14/12/2025
Well said Dr Brunet!
It's frightening how many shy people or those with difficulties expressing themselves who might have taken a long time to finally pluck up the courage to talk to their GP about their health, but might now end up keeping quiet instead because they feel stigmatised and scared they might be criticised for over-reacting.
What's tragic and deeply upsetting is that by not speaking to their GP some may end up with chronic ill-health as a result.
10/12/2025
If any of you following this page are Neurodivergent (or believe yourself to be), please complete this short survey to help Kingston College review how they support students to develop their employability skills.
All responses are anonymous. Thank you.
Survey re. SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT for Neurodivergent people.
The Therapy Team from Kingston College would like to gather views and experiences to help them review how they support Neurodivergent students in developing their employability skills.
Please complete this short survey if you've had experiences at college, with interviews and in the workplace that you think could help other Neurodivergent people with employment and would like us to share them with Kingston College.
Ever wondered why a disorganised home and disordered eating often go together? Here's a possible reason.
Does it ring any bells with any one?
Welcome to the PEACE Community! We want you to feel seen and for your autism to be acknowledged, understood and supported in eating disorder treatment. We hope this website provides tools to enable this. Our team have team have created some resources and psychoeducation to support you and those supp...
05/12/2025
Will the Government's new inquiry (announced yesterday by Wes Streeting) about the possible overdiagnosis of mental health conditions, Autism and ADHD consider recent research which proves the connection between being Neurodivergent and/or being hypermobile - both of which can cause both physical and mental ill-health?
We hope so. Otherwise it would be a bit pointless given that the Government's 10-year plan says it wants to "put the NHS at the front of the global genomics* revolution and make the NHS the most artificial-intelligence-enabled care system in the world".
*Genomics is the study of an organism's complete set of DNA (including all of its genes and their functions, and how they influence the growth and workings of the body).
Sets out the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England.
02/12/2025
Unfortunately fires can and do happen. Here's the type of call you might have if you have one in your home, and phone 999 and ask for the fire service.
There are a lot of nasty lurgies going round at the moment.
If you're vulnerable to infection then do consider having a flu vaccine to help reduce the risk of you becoming a statistic.
Flu is circulating earlier than usual this year 🤧
The NHS in Surreys is urging everyone who’s eligible to get their vaccine as soon as possible.
National data shows this year’s flu vaccine is offering strong protection, especially for children, with early results from the UK Health Security Agency showing it’s 70–75% effective at preventing hospital attendance in 2–17 year-olds.
Find answers to common questions and book your flu vaccine today 👉
surreyheartlands.org/flu-vaccination
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In 2018 the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified Hoarding Disorder as a mental illness.
It is just one of many conditions that can cause people to have too much stuff or become disorganised. Mental health conditions such as Anxiety and Depression can be diagnosed fairly easily, but often the co-morbid conditions that can be a root cause of the mental health and hoarding/disorganisation problems go undiagnosed, such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Conditions and Executive Dysfunction (difficulties with things like planning, organising, time-keeping and decision-making).
Similarly, the health of many people affected by chronic disorganisation or hoarding can be affected too, because of worry or frustration about a relative, neighbour or friend, or having being injured after having a slip/trip/fall, or being involved in a life-changing event such as a fire.
One such person is Cherry Rudge, who devised the original Hoarding Icebreaker form in 2015. She’s the daughter of a hoarder, and understands from personal experience the physical and psychological challenges of having a controlling parent and living with too much stuff.
Cherry created the form to empower people whose health has been affected by these types of issues to start a conversation with their GP or other medical professional, without having to feel traumatised or stigmatised by the experience.
She can relate to the many phone calls and emails she regularly receives from concerned relatives, friends, social workers, etc whose health has been affected because they’re at their wits end and need practical, non-judgemental, empathetic advice and support to help their family member, friend or client.
Cherry became a Professional Organiser after her mother died in 2009, and her father (the hoarder) was showing signs of Dementia. Her years of experience as a PA secretary, Marketer and qualified Project Manager lead her to become Marketing, PR and Partnerships Officer for The Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO) between 2011 and 2014, and Acting President from 2013-2014.
She is an advisor to the charity Hoarding UK, and is delighted to be a member of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Hoarding Working Group, and helped organise the first ever Hoarding Awareness Week in 2014.
Cherry devised the Hoarding Ice-Breaker form, to empower people whose health has been negatively affected by clutter, disorganisation or hoarding to gain help and support from a medical professional.
She is a volunteer for the Fastminds ADHD & Autism Support Group in Kingston-upon-Thames, and an active campaigner about health and safety issues associated with clutter, disorganisation (and Executive Dysfunction) and hoarding.
She is particularly proud to be collaborating with Jo Cooke (author of “Understanding Hoarding” and founder of Hoarding Disorders UK CIC) and Heather Matuozzo (Chair of Hoarding UK and founder of Clouds End CIC) to train, coach and mentor the next generation of Professional Hoarding Practitioners.
