Hoarding Disorder Myths Hoarding happens because of laziness or disorganization: The accumulation of clutter in the living space is due to laziness or lack of time—False. Hoarding is not just laziness because laziness is a choice, and hoarding is a mental health condition that people can't help.
It's important to remember that hoarding disorder is a mental health condition — it's not a matter of laziness or willpower.
Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.
Some individuals with hoarding disorder may recognize and acknowledge that they have a problem with accumulating possessions; others may not see a problem.
Hoarding disorder is a mental health problem that a doctor can diagnose. But you might also experience hoarding as part of another mental or physical health problem. If you hoard, you might: Feel the need to get more things, even if you have a lot already.
Hoarding can be related to difficult experiences and painful feelings. You may find these hard to express, face or resolve. Some people say hoarding helps them cope with other mental health problems, or distracts them from feeling very anxious, upset or afraid.
Results: Hoarding symptoms were associated with greater self-reported emotional empathy, specifically emotional contagion, and less self-reported cognitive empathy.
Compulsive hoarding is a progressive and chronic condition that begins early in life. Left untreated, its severity increases with age. Compulsive hoarding should be considered a distinct clinical syndrome, separate from OCD.
Individuals who have experienced childhood traumas such as abuse, neglect, or abandonment may also develop hoarding as a coping mechanism. They may view their possessions as a source of security and comfort and may have difficulty letting go of them.
In some cases, hoarding is a condition in itself and often associated with self-neglect. These people are more likely to: live alone.
Stressful life events.
Some people develop hoarding disorder after experiencing a stressful life event that they had difficulty coping with, such as the death of a loved one, divorce or losing possessions in a fire.
Offering general support. If you are supporting someone who is hoarding, whether they agree or not, you should try to keep these important points in mind: Use respectful language. Don't refer to their possessions as 'junk' or 'rubbish'.
Signs of compulsive hoarding include always having clutter, showing emotional distress disposing of items, not inviting others over, having a shopping addiction, not allowing others to touch or borrow their possessions, having multiple pets, and constantly talking about their collection.
Hoarding behaviors are associated with many mental health conditions, including depression. Seeking treatment for hoarding can help you cope. If you have sentimental attachments to items and have difficulty letting go of things, you may be experiencing hoarding behaviors.
People may begin to hoard when they are dealing with the loss of a loved one, going through a divorce, being evicted or losing one's possessions in a fire or flood. Other risk factors include social isolation, withdrawal from society and family, and being lonely and wanting to keep personal items around them.
Hoarding is commonly criticized for creating shortages of goods in the real economy. It is possible for hoarding to create a cycle of speculation, self-fulfilling prophecies, and inflation. If several wealthy individuals start hoarding wheat, the price will begin to increase.
This is deeply scaring psychologically and can lead to severe anxiety and depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or substance abuse. We also know that being exposed to trauma and without being able to control our environment leads to hopelessness and helplessness (see Marty Seligman).
Hoarding behaviors can begin as early as the teenage years, although the average age of a person seeking treatment for hoarding is about 50. Hoarders often endure a lifelong struggle with hoarding. They tend to live alone and may have a family member with the problem.
Background: Hoarding symptoms have been described in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Furthermore, individuals with hoarding disorder (HD) may display some ASD-like features.
People with hoarding disorder may feel ashamed about how they live or friends and family may shy away from visiting them at home. This can take a toll on the hoarder's social life, causing them to feel isolated and lonely, and making your support even more important.
Brain damage
It is suggested that abnormal brain development and brain lesions could lead to compulsive behaviors of hoarding.
If a person tries to move the possessions without the hoarder's consent, the hoarder can become emotionally upset or angry. This can potentially result in the helpful individual's expulsion from the home.
Medicines are used to treat other conditions such as anxiety and depression that often occur along with hoarding disorder. The medicines most commonly used are a type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).