SAN FRANCISCO, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF) hosts 15thAnnual International Conference on Hoarding & Cluttering (ICHC) on May 2nd and 3rd at the Parc 55 Wyndham San Francisco-Union Square hotel. Originally pioneered as a local, one-day conference in 1998, fifteen years later, it has evolved into a 3-day innovative, international, multidisciplinary and culturally responsive event bringing together advocates, researchers, clinicians, landlords and people who are personally struggling with hoarding challenges to foster learning and successful strategies that save lives, counter stigma and improve public welfare.
ICHC is the only ongoing annual conference in the world focusing solely on the complex issues, impact, and stigma associated with the disorder, drawing together stakeholders and experts across fields with a addressing effective solutions to the personal and public burdens that can arise from compulsive hoarding, cluttering and acquiring behaviors. ICHC features practical solutions, cutting edge innovations and emphasizes communities working together to better understand issues and promote the development of effective task forces, and engagement of diverse stakeholders.
May is Mental Health Month, and represents a milestone for the field as the American Psychiatric Association releases the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V) recognizing compulsive hoarding and cluttering as a significant and legitimate mental health condition. There is a three-part definition to compulsive hoarding behavior: 1.) The accumulation of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value. 2.) Living spaces become so cluttered that they can't be used for the activities they were intended for. 3.) The hoarding behavior causes distress and impaired functioning
The 2013 ICHC conference is a source of learning, but it is especially a significant and unique opportunity for the many people who are isolated by their condition. People with hoarding and cluttering challenges often feel alone, ashamed and helpless. As a recent participant reflected many people aren't aware on "any kind of help at all."
WHO: | The Mental Health Association of San Francisco |
WHAT: | 15th Annual International Conference on Hoarding & Cluttering (ICHC) |
WHEN: | Thursday and Friday May 2- 3, 2013 |
8:30 am – 5:00 pm | |
WHERE: | Parc 55 Wyndham San Francisco- Union Square |
55 Cyril Magnin Street | |
San Francisco, California | |
WEB: |
Media Contact: Jenifer Reeve (415) 290-5403 cell / jenifer@mentalhealthsf.org
SOURCE Mental Health Association of San Francisco
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