Dear Prudence,
I recently visited a friend, Aaron, whose house I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. He also is the boyfriend of my best friend, and they moved in together a couple weeks ago. Over the past couple months, I heard rumors of the state of Aaron’s house from mutual friends. But this was the first time seeing it for myself. There were boxes stacked taller than I am everywhere, with a rickety path carved through to the kitchen. Ankle-deep piles of random items strewed across the room, ranging from books, to camping supplies, to unopened Macy’s bags. Aaron mentioned without prompting that he had cleaned before I came.
Aaron and my best friend are kind people who helped me at my points in my life when I really needed it. Is there any way I can return the favor? I really don’t know if I should say anything or if there’s any way to help with hoarding. They are both lovely people who I hate to see living like that.
— Horrified at the Hoard