While hoarding symptoms often start in the teenage years and worsen through adulthood, the average age for someone to seek treatment for hoarding disorder is around 50, with it being significantly more common in older adults (55-94) than younger ones, though it can affect all ages. Hoarding is often a lifelong issue, with symptoms progressively worsening over decades, leading many to seek help in middle age or later.
Hoarding symptoms appear to be almost three times more common in older adults (ages 55-94 years) compared to younger adults (ages 34–44 years), although hoarding symptoms can occur in young children as well.
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.
Level 1 Hoarder: The Beginning Signs
There might be light clutter and no noticeable odors. All doors and stairways of the home are accessible. There are no signs of animal waste, pests or other problematic conditions. However, the individual may already be experiencing difficulty discarding items.
The overall prevalence of hoarding disorder is approximately 2.6%, with higher rates for people over 60 years old and people with other psychiatric diagnoses, especially anxiety and depression.
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).
Compulsive hoarding is a progressive and chronic condition that begins early in life. Left untreated, its severity increases with age.
The person hoarding is usually reluctant or unable to have visitors or even allow tradesmen in to carry out essential repairs, which can cause isolation and loneliness. The clutter can pose a health risk to the person and anyone who lives in or visits their house.
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.
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.
A novel mechanism by which childhood trauma impacts hoarding tendencies in adulthood is explored. In a large non-clinical sample, emotional abuse and physical neglect predicted hoarding symptoms. Hoarding symptoms were positively correlated with attachment anxiety and ambivalence.
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 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.
Hoarders tend to have high IQ's and they also have difficulty processing information. They may also have negative self perceptions of themselves and they may be ashamed, embarrassed, overwhelmed, or out of control. They may harbor fears of being considered "crazy" or their fear of being "found out".
The #1 worst habit for anxiety isn't singular, but avoidance (procrastination), poor sleep, and negative thought patterns (like catastrophizing) are top contenders, creating vicious cycles where anxiety fuels these behaviors, and the behaviors, in turn, worsen anxiety by preventing healthy coping and creating more stress. Other significant habits include excessive caffeine, poor diet, too much screen time, and social withdrawal, all disrupting the body's ability to manage stress effectively.
Homer Lusk Collyer (November 6, 1881 – March 21, 1947) and Langley Wakeman Collyer (October 3, 1885 – c. March 9, 1947), known as the Collyer brothers, were two American brothers who became infamous for their bizarre natures and compulsive hoarding.
Complex trauma disrupts a person's sense of safety, self-worth, and ability to form healthy relationships. These disruptions often manifest in behaviors like hoarding, which serve as coping mechanisms for unresolved pain.
The idea behind the 10-10 decluttering method is refreshingly simple—which ups the chances that you'll be able to stick to it! Over the course of 10 days, you'll declutter 10 items a day from 10 different areas or rooms of your home. Not hardcore enough? Try limiting each day's decluttering session to only 10 minutes.
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.
Hoarding disorder is a mental health problem that a psychiatrist or other mental health professional 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.
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 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.
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.
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 40-70 rule for aging parents is a guideline for adult children to manage care and support as their parents age. It suggests that children typically spend 40% of their time providing direct support, 70% of their time overseeing care and planning for their parents' needs, and the remainder managing their own lives.