chinadaily雙語(yǔ)新聞:不愛(ài)扔?xùn)|西也是病

字號(hào):

英語(yǔ)資源頻道為大家整理的chinadaily雙語(yǔ)新聞:不愛(ài)扔?xùn)|西也是病,供大家閱讀參考。
     Everybody accumulates stuff, and many of us have cluttered closets and drawers. But when seemingly useless possessions and even rotten food pile up, blocking exits and filling beds, sofas, sinks and bathtubs, it's evidence of a psychiatric condition called compulsive hoarding.
    Hoarding has spilled into the spotlight in recent years, thanks to 'Oprah,' 'Dr. Phil' and the A&E series 'Hoarders.' E.L. Doctorow's new novel, 'Homer and Langely,' offers fictional insight into the reclusive Collyer brothers, found dead in their Fifth Avenue mansion in 1947 amid 130 tons of trash, including 14 pianos, 25,000 books, decades worth of newspapers and the chassis of a Model T Ford.
    Yet most hoarders remain a family secret. Experts estimate that as much as 2% of the population meets the criteria, a group that spans all education and income levels. 'Attorneys, surgeons, business executives -- some very bright and successful people that you'd never suspect have this problem,' says San Francisco psychologist Michael A. Tompkins, author of a new book, 'Digging Out,' aimed at helping families of hoarders. 'Sometimes they're the life of the party, but nobody's ever been invited to their home.'
    Hoarders probably existed in other times and cultures, but psychologists are just beginning to understand what motivates them and how to help them. Experts draw distinctions between hoarding and other forms of mess. Collectors are discerning and display their treasures proudly; clutterers and chronically disorganized people are willing and able to clean up, and they welcome assistance. Hoarders often strenuously resist help and turn a blind eye to the chaos.
    Psychologically, hoarding defies easy categorization. It's often seen as a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but some aspects don't fit the OCD pattern. Nearly 90% of hoarders also acquire things excessively and experience a rush that's not typical of OCD. 'It's as if they go into a dissociative state where they forget that they don't have money to buy this or space to keep it,' says Randy O. Frost, professor of psychology and an expert on hoarding at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.
    Some hoarders show signs of dementia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit disorder. Many have trouble making decisions about objects and fear they'll later regret discarding something. Their possessions are often extremely disorganized; bills often go unpaid because they are lost amid piles of videos and clothing. Services get cut off, which compounds the squalor.
    At the same time, some hoarders are extremely frugal, loath to waste anything that could be repaired or given to someone. Some have lost jobs or loved ones and are holding onto physical reminders. Some are highly imaginative: That empty toilet-paper roll could be covered with yarn and made into a doll . . . .
    'I've seen many people who have an image of themselves as an expert cook or crafts person, and they collect all the objects that represent that craft until they are overwhelmed,' says Gail Steketee, dean of the Boston University School of Social Work and another hoarding expert. 'It's a dream gone haywire.'
    A subset of hoarders house large numbers of animals. Experts at the school of veterinary medicine at Tufts University report seeing cases with as many as 1,000 animals in a single home. Hoarders are usually oblivious to the fact that the animals are malnourished or filthy, and they are convinced they're rescuing them from a worse fate.
    Indeed, most hoarders don't consider their living conditions to be a problem. The squalor bothers family members far more, particularly if they share the same home.
    How can family members and friends help a hoarder? As tempting as it may be, experts say forcibly cleaning out a hoarder's home is bound to backfire -- and in some cases, cause severe psychological trauma. Hoarders tend to feel violated and simply repeat the process in a new location.
    Instead, experts counsel patience and understanding, and letting the hoarder make his or her own decisions as much as possible.
    One option is to hire a professional organizer, particularly one experienced with compulsive hoarding.
    'Shaming a person is never the answer,' says Deb Stanley, a professional organizer in Clinton Township, Mich., who is also training to become a mental-health counselor. 'If you want the opportunity to effect change, you have to respect the person's dignity.'
    Some hoarders willing to seek treatment have found that antidepressants -- specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- can help manage emotions. Cognitive behavioral therapy can also help change hoarders' thinking about their possessions.
    人人都會(huì)積攢東西,而且我們中許多人的壁櫥和抽屜都凌亂不堪。但是如果看上去毫無(wú)用處的物品,甚至是腐爛的食物堆積起來(lái),堵住門(mén)口,堆滿床鋪、沙發(fā)、水池和澡盆,這就是一種精神病癥的表征,這種精神病癥被稱為強(qiáng)迫性儲(chǔ)物癥。
    近年來(lái),儲(chǔ)物癥問(wèn)題已經(jīng)引起了人們的關(guān)注,這多虧“奧普拉”(Oprah)、“菲爾醫(yī)生”(Dr. Phil)和A&E電視臺(tái)的系列節(jié)目“儲(chǔ)物狂”(Hoarders)。E.L.多克托羅(E.L. Doctorow)的小說(shuō)新作《霍默和蘭格利》(Homer and Langely)用帶有虛構(gòu)色彩的文字探尋了科利爾(Collyer)兄弟的隱居生活,1947年,這對(duì)兄弟被發(fā)現(xiàn)死于他們?cè)诘谖宕蟮赖墓⒅?,身邊堆滿了130噸垃圾,包括14架鋼琴、25,000本書(shū)、好幾十年的報(bào)紙和一只T型福特車的底盤(pán)。
    美國(guó)加州的一位婦女在家里養(yǎng)了至少75只貓。然而,多數(shù)儲(chǔ)物癥患者仍然不為外人所知。專家估計(jì),多達(dá)2%的人符合儲(chǔ)物癥患者的標(biāo)準(zhǔn),這一群體覆蓋了所有教育和收入階層?!八麄冎杏新蓭?、外科醫(yī)生、企業(yè)主管──有些是非常聰明的成功人士,你永遠(yuǎn)想不到他們會(huì)有這種問(wèn)題”,舊金山的心理學(xué)家湯普金斯(Michael A. Tompkins)說(shuō)。他是新書(shū)《重見(jiàn)天日》(Digging Out)的作者,這本書(shū)的目的是幫助儲(chǔ)物癥患者的家庭?!坝袝r(shí)他們是派對(duì)中的靈魂人物,但卻從未邀請(qǐng)別人到自己家做客?!?BR>    儲(chǔ)物癥患者可能存在于其他時(shí)代和文化中,但心理學(xué)家剛剛開(kāi)始了解他們的儲(chǔ)物動(dòng)機(jī)以及如何幫助他們。專家們總結(jié)出儲(chǔ)物癥和其他形式的積存行為的區(qū)別:收藏家是有辨識(shí)能力的,并且會(huì)很自豪地展示他們的寶貝;亂堆東西的人和長(zhǎng)期生活沒(méi)有條理的人愿意并有能力進(jìn)行清掃,而且他們歡迎別人的幫助;儲(chǔ)物癥患者通常十分抗拒別人的幫助,而且對(duì)于亂糟糟的環(huán)境視而不見(jiàn)。
    從心理學(xué)上講,不能簡(jiǎn)單地對(duì)儲(chǔ)物癥進(jìn)行分類。它通常被視為一種強(qiáng)迫癥,但某些方面并不符合強(qiáng)迫癥的模式。近90%的儲(chǔ)物者還會(huì)購(gòu)置多余的物品,并有過(guò)搶購(gòu)的經(jīng)驗(yàn),而這并不是強(qiáng)迫癥的典型癥狀。“就好像他們進(jìn)入了一種游離的狀態(tài),在這種狀態(tài)下,他們忘記了自己沒(méi)有錢(qián)買這種東西或者沒(méi)有地方存放它”,馬薩諸塞州北安普頓市史密斯學(xué)院(Smith College)的心理學(xué)教授和儲(chǔ)物癥專家弗羅斯特(Randy O. Frost)說(shuō)。
    有些儲(chǔ)物癥患者表現(xiàn)出癡呆、抑郁、創(chuàng)傷后應(yīng)激障礙和注意力不足等癥狀。許多患者難以作出關(guān)于物品的決策,唯恐以后因?yàn)閬G棄東西而后悔。他們的個(gè)人物品通常擺放得極其混亂;他們的賬單經(jīng)常逾期未付,因?yàn)檫@些賬單遺失在成堆的影碟和衣服中了。一旦水電等服務(wù)被切斷,其本已臟亂不堪的生活環(huán)境將雪上加霜。
    伊麗莎白•尼爾森小時(shí)候的房間同時(shí),有些儲(chǔ)物癥患者極其節(jié)儉,不愿浪費(fèi)任何還能修理或送人的東西。有些人已經(jīng)失去了工作或所愛(ài)的人,卻緊抓著紀(jì)念物不放。有些人非常有想象力:他們能將空的衛(wèi)生紙筒芯包上紗線做成娃娃……
    “我見(jiàn)到過(guò)許多自認(rèn)為是烹飪專家或手藝人的人,他們收集所有可以表現(xiàn)這種手藝的物件,直到他們被其淹沒(méi)。”波士頓大學(xué)(Boston University)社會(huì)工作學(xué)院院長(zhǎng)、另一位儲(chǔ)物癥專家斯特科蒂(Gail Steketee)說(shuō)?!斑@是一個(gè)失去控制的夢(mèng)。”
    有一類儲(chǔ)物癥患者收養(yǎng)大量動(dòng)物。據(jù)塔夫茨大學(xué)(Tufts University)獸醫(yī)學(xué)院的專家稱,他們?cè)?jiàn)過(guò)在一所住宅中收養(yǎng)多達(dá)1,000只動(dòng)物的案例。儲(chǔ)物癥患者通常對(duì)動(dòng)物營(yíng)養(yǎng)不良或骯臟污*的狀況視若無(wú)睹,并堅(jiān)稱自己是將它們從更悲慘的命運(yùn)中解救出來(lái)。
    實(shí)際上,多數(shù)儲(chǔ)物癥患者并不認(rèn)為其生活環(huán)境成問(wèn)題。這種臟亂的環(huán)境對(duì)家庭成員造成的困擾要大得多,尤其是當(dāng)他們住在同一屋檐下時(shí)。
    家庭成員和朋友們?cè)撊绾螏椭鷥?chǔ)物癥患者呢?盡管聽(tīng)上去很誘人,但專家們稱,強(qiáng)行清掃儲(chǔ)物癥患者的房屋必定會(huì)事與愿違──在某些情況下,甚至?xí)?dǎo)致嚴(yán)重的心理創(chuàng)傷。儲(chǔ)物癥患者會(huì)感覺(jué)受到侵犯,而且只會(huì)在新環(huán)境中重復(fù)儲(chǔ)物過(guò)程。
    相反,專家們建議要有耐心并理解他們,盡可能讓儲(chǔ)物癥患者自己做出決定。
    一種選擇是雇傭一位專業(yè)統(tǒng)籌師,尤其是有強(qiáng)制性儲(chǔ)物癥處理經(jīng)驗(yàn)的專業(yè)統(tǒng)籌師。
    “羞辱一個(gè)人永遠(yuǎn)不是解決方法”,密歇根州的專業(yè)統(tǒng)籌師斯坦利(Deb Stanley)說(shuō),他也在接受心理健康顧問(wèn)培訓(xùn)?!叭绻阆MプC(jī)會(huì),讓你的努力見(jiàn)效,就必須尊重別人?!?BR>    有些愿意進(jìn)行治療的儲(chǔ)物癥患者發(fā)現(xiàn),抗抑郁藥物──具體來(lái)說(shuō),是選擇性五羥色胺再攝取抑制劑(SSRIs)──有助于控制情緒。認(rèn)知行為療法也有助于改變儲(chǔ)物癥患者對(duì)個(gè)人物品的想法。