Dear Hoarder for Brother-in-Law: It’s important to recognize that hoarding is a mental illness, not something caused by laziness or poor hygiene, and it is closely associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

He has purchased several items and his garage is overflowing so the new items are left in their boxes outside.

Dear Annie: I have a brother-in-law that I need help with but don’t know where to turn. He’s a hoarder. The house he lives in belonged to his parents, but it is now full of junk and he does nothing to keep it clean. He has purchased several items and his garage is overflowing so the new items are left in their boxes outside.

He had a good job, but he’s retired and didn’t have a financial adviser to help him invest. He didn’t trust the stock market and now he has less than $500 in savings and is living on approximately $1,