Front Matter

I am indebted to many individuals who have supported the genesis of this book. I want to thank my patients, their families, and the many research study participants who have helped me understand the profound impact of this illness on their lives. Laura Roberts, chair of Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, encouraged the development of this book and has been an inspiration and stalwart advocate from our first meeting. Lorrin Koran, professor emeritus and founder of the Stanford OCD Clinic, has been a fierce champion, thoughtful mentor and collaborator, and model for going the extra mile for patients. Alan Schatzberg, former Chair of Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has been a long-time sponsor and visionary collaborator, and I am thankful our paths crossed early in my career. I am grateful to my lab, students, and collaborators who continue to push the envelope.

It has been an honor to coauthor this book with my mentor and research collaborator, Randy Frost, who not only pioneered the hoarding disorder field but also has fostered a culture of collaboration and inclusion within its academic, clinical, advocacy, and community components. His efforts—alongside the efforts of numerous esteemed and newly engaged hoarding disorder colleagues—have enabled researchers and clinicians to create new research, treatments, advocacy, and hope. Lee Shuer and Becca Belofsky have imparted wisdom about the importance of language, stigma, and intention, which helped to shape my research, partnerships, and approach to care; I am grateful for their partnership. I also wish to give a special thanks to Becky Fullmer for her skillful editing, thoughtful feedback, and kind support on this project from beginning to end. I greatly appreciate the assistance of the staff of American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

This book is dedicated to individuals and their loved ones impacted by hoarding disorder and in loving memory of Karen Million. I wish to express my gratitude to my treasured friend Christina for her compassion and steadfast support. My brother Walter, sister-in-law Masami, nephews Oliver and Elliott, sister-in-law Elizabeth, and brothers-in-law Evan and Erik have been a constant source of encouragement and warmth. My parents, Walter and Melba, sacrificed greatly to give my brother and me educational opportunities; they were my first and most valuable teachers. I am above all grateful for the love and unwavering support of my husband, Ryan, and my children, Ryan, Alex, and Marisa.

I owe much to my wife, Sue; my daughters, Erica and Olivia; and their families, whose love and support have sustained me through the writing of this book. The landscape of this work is populated by three groups of people: the professionals who study and treat the problem, the people who live with it, and the family and friends who often bear a great deal of the burden. There are hundreds of people from each of these groups who deserve my thanks for helping me develop an understanding of this problem. The sharing of information by these three groups has allowed us to detail what we know about hoarding in this volume. A special thanks is due to the people who work tirelessly to bridge the gaps between these groups. The International OCD Foundation and its staff provide a forum for education and training that has advanced the field tremendously. Lee Shuer and Becca Belofsky have been wonderful colleagues and friends from whom I have learned a great deal about the lived experience of hoarding. Gail Steketee, my close friend and colleague in research for more than 30 years, has been a constant source of support and inspiration. Thanks are also due to Becky Fullmer, who has been adept at editing much of our prose. A special thanks to my students, who have stimulated much of my thinking about the development of attachments to possessions over the 30-plus years that I have been studying hoarding. Finally, it has been a special treat for me to work with my coauthor, Carolyn Rodriguez, on this book. She has been a joy as well as a source of many new ideas for paths forward in the study of hoarding.