The presence of hoarding behavior among patients with schizophrenia has been known for more than a century.
Hoarding has also been considered a mannerism and thereby a common symptom among patients with catatonic schizophrenia [3].
Mental health conditions most often associated with hoarding disorder include: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) recognizes it as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the same time, some experts believe hoarding is an addiction, impulse control disorder, or personality trait.
Conclusions: Hoarding symptoms are associated with increased emotional contagion and decreased cognitive empathy. Empathy may be an avenue for understanding and treating interpersonal difficulties in hoarding disorder.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are most commonly used to treat hoarding disorder. A recent meta-analysis shows that treatment response to pharmacotherapy is similar to the response in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Indeed, hoarding turns out to be is highly prevalent across a broad span of psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder. Compulsive hoarding traditionally has been considered virtually synonymous with obsessive-compulsive disorder, but its reach actually extends far beyond.
Hoarding gets worse with age, which is why it's often associated with older adults, but it usually starts in childhood.
Touching Items Without Permission: Hoarders have an unnatural attachment to the things that they have gathered. If a person tries to move the possessions without the hoarder's consent, the hoarder can become emotionally upset or angry.
More than 70% of hoarders are women, many are elderly, and recidivism is nearly universal. Some hoarders are sociopaths indifferent to the concerns or needs of either people or animals, driven by a need to accumulate and control animals. Sometimes the hoarder calls her collection a shelter or animal refuge.
Drug abuse. Studies have shown using drugs, particularly cannabis, cocaine, LSD or amphetamines, can increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, psychosis or a similar illness.
The imbalance of these chemicals affects the way a person's brain reacts to stimuli—which explains why a person with schizophrenia may be overwhelmed by sensory information (loud music or bright lights), which other people can easily handle.
According to recent research findings, almost 30% of patients with schizophrenia have obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS).
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.
Professor Mike Kyrios, Director of The Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Psychology, said people with hoarding disorder are falling between the gaps of Australia's medical system. Hoarding disorder effects between two to six per cent of the population.
As with most mental health disorders, hoarding disorder is a lifelong condition. However, the hoarding outlook doesn't have to be daunting. With treatment and the incorporation of coping mechanisms, someone with hoarding disorder can remain in recovery and feel comfortable in their home.
A combination of medication and CBT appears to be the most effective treatment regimen for most people with the compulsive hoarding syndrome. By the end of the therapy sessions the sufferer may not have cleared all their clutter but may have acquired the understanding of their problem.
Clutter: Possessions are disorganized and may accumulate around living areas. Collecting: Possessions are part of a larger set of items. Display does not impede active living areas in home. Hoarding: Possessions become unorganized piles preventing rooms from being used for their intended purpose.
Hoarders generally experience embarrassment about their possessions and feel uncomfortable when others see them. Their clutter often takes over functional living space, and they feel sad or ashamed after acquiring additional items.
Two of the most common forms are cat hoarding and dog hoarding. However, a person can hoard any animal.