Some hoarders fear running out of things, have a compulsive need to accumulate free items, or find it impossible to pass up a bargain or deal. Others simply view disposing of things as being wasteful. Hoarding disorder is most commonly diagnosed in older adults with a family history of hoarding.
Ataxophobia is the extreme fear of disorder or untidiness. It's closely linked to OCD. People with ataxophobia may clean frequently, worry about being in messy spaces or obsess over symmetry.
Hoarding is a disorder that may be present on its own or as a symptom of another disorder. Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.
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'.
Some individuals with hoarding disorder may recognize and acknowledge that they have a problem with accumulating possessions; others may not see a problem.
Results: Hoarding symptoms were associated with greater self-reported emotional empathy, specifically emotional contagion, and less self-reported cognitive empathy.
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).
Attempts to discard things often bring up very strong emotions that can feel overwhelming, so the person hoarding often tends to put off or avoid making decisions about what can be thrown out. Often, many of the things kept are of little or no monetary value and may be what most people would consider rubbish.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
While hoarding disorder does lead to serious clutter, hoarders aren't particularly dangerous. However, these individuals do not appreciate being forced to change. If they constantly face pressure to throw out their stuff, they can become very angry and take violent action.
Highlights. Individuals who hoard report greater anxious attachment and indecisiveness. Emotional reactivity but not distress intolerance mediated these constructs.
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.
Again, hoarding may be viewed as selfish—or not—depending on the context. “Many of the items that people are hoarding are 'care' items—diapers, toilet paper, sanitizer—things that enable and represent the ability to give care to others,” says Foster.
Half of South Carolina residents call themselves hoarders, here in North Carolina only 38 percent do. Ohio came in second with 42 percent, Alabama 41 percent. The survey found that the southern states were by and large the biggest culprits when it came to hanging on or collecting things.
One of the contributing factors to hoarding can be traumatic events or a significant loss. Traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or other major life changes, can lead to hoarding.
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.
Often, hoarders are embarrassed by the number of possessions they have and are uncomfortable allowing others to see them. Clutter crowds living spaces and the initial joy that may be felt when acquiring something new quickly turns to shame and sadness.
It is often accompanied by a compulsion to check and recheck that things are still there. Often, hoarding will coexist with self-awareness of the issue, and then a subsequent self-loathing. Hoarders know their habits are abnormal, and yet they cannot help themselves.
Hoarding often runs in families and can frequently accompany other mental health disorders, like depression, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, and impulse control problems. A majority of people with compulsive hoarding can identify another family member who has the problem.