Growing up with a hoarder often causes deep-seated, long-lasting mental health effects, including chronic anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma from living in chaos. Children frequently experience severe shame, social isolation, and the burden of premature responsibility, leading to difficulties in forming healthy relationships and a fear of developing hoarding behaviors themselves.
Overview. Hoarding disorder is an ongoing difficulty throwing away or parting with possessions because you believe that you need to save them. You may experience distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. You gradually keep or gather a huge number of items, regardless of their actual value.
For example, previous research has found that family members who live with their hoarding relative report greater distress than those who have left the home (Tolin et al., 2008), and younger COHP tend to experience more anxiety and depression than their older counterparts (Guzick et al., 2022).
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Dwelling with a hoarder feels like your accomplishments are ruined at nearly every moment of the day. No matter what you try to complete, nothing ever feels done. And, pretty soon, you find yourself spending most of your time huddled in a corner, with your eyes pasted to a screen, avoiding everything around you.
Hoarding disorder may exist on its own or may be part of another condition. Mental health conditions most often associated with hoarding disorder include: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD).
The 50% rule for clutter is a decluttering method that challenges you to remove half the items from any given space (closets, drawers, rooms) to create instant space, reduce overwhelm, and achieve a more organized, functional environment by keeping only what truly adds value. It's a powerful technique for making significant progress quickly, forcing intentional decisions about what to keep versus what to let go of, making finding and using items easier.
Don't say “If we don't clean up this apartment and get rid of all these things, I'm going to leave.” Don't say “We have too much stuff! We have got to get rid of some or else we'll never be able to move again!” Don't say “I can only stay here if we start throwing away all our junk.”
Yes, hoarding can be treated. Unfortunately, it has not responded well to the usual treatments that work for OCD. Some strategies used to treat hoarding include: Challenging the hoarder's thoughts and beliefs about the need to keep items and about collecting new things.
The medicines most commonly used are a type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Research continues on the most effective ways to use medicines in the treatment of hoarding disorder.
Hoarding disorder. Other names. Compulsive hoarding, Plyushkin's disorder. Compulsive hoarding in an apartment. Specialty.
Anxiety And Stress
One of the most poignant psychological effects of a dirty living space is heightened anxiety. An untidy home can be a source of constant stress, triggering feelings of embarrassment, shame, and even hopelessness.
Some researchers believe hoarding can relate to childhood experiences of losing things, not owning things, or people not caring for you. This might include experiences like: Money worries or experiencing poverty. Having your belongings taken or thrown away by someone.
A number of information processing deficits have been associated with hoarding; including planning, problem-solving, visuospatial learning and memory, sustained attention, working memory, and organization. Hoarding behaviors appear relatively early in life and then follow a chronic course.
Hoarding disorder is a recognized psychological condition where people feel compelled to keep items regardless of their actual value or usefulness. The thought of discarding things causes significant distress, leading to rapid accumulation and cluttered living spaces.
Some of us who hoard don't know we're hoarding. But recognising it and the effect it's having on our lives can be the first step to getting support.
The Bible warns against placing too much importance on material wealth, and this principle goes hand in hand with hoarding. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
The 5 stages of hoarding describe a progressive scale from minor clutter (Level 1) to uninhabitable conditions (Level 5), where homes become unusable, safety is compromised (hazards, pests, biohazards), personal hygiene declines, and severe social isolation occurs, reflecting increasing difficulty discarding items and significant disruption to daily life.
Experts believe hoarding is caused by both environmental and genetic influences. About half of the people who hoard also have a family member who hoards. Studies suggest there is a link between a region on chromosome 14 and compulsive hoarding.
The International OCD Foundation reports the following common reasons for hoarding items: not wasting things, fear of losing important information, emotional meaning of objects, and the characteristics of objects.
If the 5x5 method is as new to you as it was to me, allow me to explain. Coined by Steph of The Secret Slob, this technique requires nothing but a timer and twenty-five free minutes. Pick five rooms or zones and dedicate five minutes per area. In twenty-five minutes, Steph promises a cleaner, less cluttered home.
In fact, if it's done without their consent, discarding the hoarder's possessions usually does more harm than good. The hoarder will likely be angry and resentful—damaging the relationship between you—and their process of accumulation will simply begin all over again.
The 12-12-12 decluttering method, created by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist, is a simple, manageable system where you find 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to return to their proper place in a room, totaling 36 items, which helps to quickly reduce clutter without overwhelm and build momentum. It's a quick, repeatable process for any area, focusing on immediate results by tackling trash, donations, and misplaced items in small, achievable steps.
Loss: When Clutter Holds Memories
Loss is a universal human experience, but for those with complex trauma, it can feel catastrophic. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a home, or a sense of safety, these experiences can lead to hoarding as a coping mechanism.
Of course, the time it takes to declutter can vary for so many different reasons. It's hard to say there's a rule of thumb, but one view is that it can take 1 to 1.5 days per room (or 8 to 12 hours per room). Obviously, closets and bathrooms might require only a few hours, whereas a garage could take 2 to 3 days.