‘I write red words on a white wall; I write until I weep’: A hoarder’s sad tale

SINGAPORE - Struggling with dementia, the frail woman in her 70s lived alone, with only cockroaches and maggots for company.

She had piled scavenged items like food containers, boxes, books and old clothes from the unit’s floor to its ceiling, blocking out sunlight.

When volunteers decluttered her flat, they found these words written in red ink in Chinese on the walls:

“I dread my days; I don’t eat well for my three meals.
“Who will save me, who will help me?
“Day after day, my body deteriorates, it is very painful.
“I write red words on a white wall; I write until I weep.”

Mr Steven Goh, 46, the founder of non-profit organisation Helping Joy, recounted the hoarding case from 2020 that affected him.

He said: “It was really sad. For many of us, we can post on social media. But for people like her, she could express her suffering only by writing on the wall, then covering it up with items she hoarded.”

Social workers said hoarding is a growing issue in Singapore, with an ageing population exacerbating the problem.

To better deal with this, a group that brings government agencies, community groups and private organisations together to help hoarders was launched on Jan 21.

It comes almost two weeks after

three people died

in a fire in a Hougang flat

, occupied by hoarders,

on Jan 9.

Mr Lee Choon Geak, 62, and his daughter have been identified, while the last victim is believed to be his wife, Madam Seow Siew Choo, 56.

Mr Shir Khan Amzalah, the general manager of TECS Fire and Safety, who was a Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighter for six years, said it would be difficult to escape from a hoarder’s flat during a blaze.

“Hoarded items will affect the travel distance for occupants to safety, and may affect the time to escape if they trip and fall over things. The excessive smoke may disorientate them, even though they might be familiar with their own flat,” he said.

He added that because of the numerous items, firefighters will face difficulties planning a route in and out, as escape paths are blocked.

The fire safety veteran of more than 30 years said closely packed items can increase the odds of the fire spreading faster, and certain items can also produce toxic fumes and more smoke.

Mr Chris Wong, a senior clinical psychologist with Resilienz Clinic, said that when trapped in a fire, a person’s “fight-flight-freeze” stress response is activated.

He said: “While some people may try to put out the fire, some may try to escape immediately, and some may freeze and remain rooted in fear.

“Why people react differently could be due to various reasons, including neurobiological and psychosocial differences.”

He added that hoarding disorder is

a recognised mental illness

, and hoarders rarely seek treatment on their own.

They are

very attached to the items they hoard

, which can trigger strong emotional reactions in them, he said.

Helping Joy’s Mr Goh said: “Some hoard for security in material possessions, while others hoard because they want to keep things that remind them of loved ones who have died.

“There are also those who hoard because of physical or mobility conditions, and others like the woman who wrote on the wall who hoarded items to feel less lonely.”

He said if these problems are not addressed, then the hoarder will accumulate clutter again even after volunteers clear out the unit.

In the elderly woman’s case, he said, volunteers keep her company and take her out for meals weekly, removing the need for her to hoard items to fill that void in her life.

Miss Justina Soh, 22, who handles volunteer programmes at welfare organisation Blossom World Society, said hoarders often face significant discrimination,

particularly from neighbours.

She said: “This can lead to feelings of isolation and distrust towards others, making it even more challenging for anyone to step in and provide the necessary help.”

In one case, she said, it took social workers six years of communication and trust-building before the hoarder allowed them to declutter the home.

They had to ask the hoarder about every item they intended to discard, including those that appeared to be junk.

She said: “If this (decluttering) process is handled poorly, it could undo years of effort and decimate the progress made.

“Our actions could inadvertently cause the beneficiaries to withdraw and isolate themselves further. That’s not only disheartening but also dangerous.”

She urged the public to be kind and understanding to hoarders.

Miss Soh added: “Once you get to know them, they are actually nice people.

“They just don’t know how to deal with the mess, or may lack the physical ability to do so.”