I had to move back in with my family of hoarders. They just started a cockroach infestation in the house, and I'm scared

Photo byŞahin Sezer DinçeronUnsplash

I'm in my late twenties and I currently live with my parents, who are in their 60s, as well as my mom's cousin who is in her 60s, my aunt from my mom's side, my cousin who is in her late thirties, and her three kids who are ages 6, 4, and 2. Unfortunately, all of them except for my parents are hoarders.

As a result of their hoarding, I only feel comfortable in my room. The kitchen is a mess, and they started a cockroach infestation. Every room is cluttered with things except for the hallway upstairs close to my room. Each of the fridges has some spoiled food in them because my family is afraid to throw things away, even food. In the past two years, I've only cooked two meals for myself because I have to spend so much time and effort cleaning up the kitchen before I can cook.

Previously, my brother, his fiancé, and a roommate lived in the upstairs section with me, but they just moved out. I'm worried because the main hoarders, my cousin and her children, will be moving upstairs next to me, occupying my bathroom, etc. (they were sleeping on couches and in living rooms before).

Where I live, the cost of living is high, and due to school, I can't afford to move out for some time. I also made some poor financial decisions in the past few years that put me in debt, and I can barely afford to live here even without the hoarding. I'm working hard to pay off my debts, but I won't be able to move out for at least a year.

Since my brother, his fiancé, and roommate left, I'm feeling panic at night and I'm worried about what will happen when my cousin and her kids move in. I've talked to my parents about this, but they brushed me off, saying that I need to learn to live with it.

My depression makes it difficult for me to keep my area clean consistently, and I fear that with my cousin and her family moving upstairs, I'll isolate myself even more.

I don't know how to set boundaries with my family because I've never done so before, and I'm afraid that even if I did, they wouldn't listen. I'm trying to hold back my urge to yell at them, but I need to find a way to deal with this situation.