A person with hoarding disorder may have a lack of insight into their condition, seemingly not able to recognise that they have a problem, or that they cannot use their surroundings due to the clutter.
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 disorders are challenging to treat because many people who hoard frequently do not see it as a problem, or have little awareness of how it's affecting their life or the lives of others.
Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.
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.
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.
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.
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.
People with hoarding disorder have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save the items. Attempts to part with possessions create considerable distress and lead to decisions to save them.
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.
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).
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'.
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.
The prognosis (outlook) for hoarding disorder is often poor. While some people with the condition greatly improve after treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy, many people still have symptoms after treatment that impact their day-to-day life.
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.
The initial start of hoarding symptoms is thought to happen in childhood or adolescence (typical onset is around age 16) and it is chronic and progressive. Hoarding is more common in older than younger age groups. Below are some early signs that an individual may have hoarding behaviors.
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).
Brain damage
It is suggested that abnormal brain development and brain lesions could lead to compulsive behaviors of hoarding.
These behaviors can cause significant embarrassment and shame. As a result, you may not want to let people into your space due to fear of judgment. Hoarding is associated with many other mental health conditions. One of the most prevalent associations with hoarding behavior is its link with depression.
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.
As the hoarding increases over time, their living areas become unsafe and the behavior may lead to health risks and financial strain. Hoarding for a person with dementia may be more likely to happen in the early and middle stages of dementia and often stems from trying to have some control in their lives.