Hoarders often exhibit personality traits like perfectionism, indecisiveness, procrastination, and disorganization, stemming from underlying anxieties, fears of loss, and difficulty managing emotions, sometimes linked to attachment issues or other mental health conditions like OCD or ADHD, rather than just a love for "thrifty" habits. Key features include intense emotional attachment to possessions, avoidance behaviors, and cognitive struggles with decision-making, leading to excessive acquisition and clutter.
Personality. Many people who have hoarding disorder have a behavior style that includes trouble making decisions and problems with attention, organization and problem-solving. Family history. There is a strong association between having a family member who has hoarding disorder and having the disorder yourself.
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Difficult feelings
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 that it distracts them from feeling very anxious, upset or afraid.
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.
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.”
Hoarding was added to the DSM-5 for the first time in 2012. The five stages of hoarding are minimal clutter, mild clutter, moderate clutter, severe clutter, and extreme clutter.
In many cases, hoarding disorder is closely linked to Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). C-PTSD develops in response to prolonged, repeated trauma, particularly in situations where escape or relief is not possible—such as in cases of chronic childhood abuse or neglect.
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 is more common in older age groups than younger age groups. Below are some early signs that an individual may have hoarding behaviors. These behaviors are typically mild and progress over years. They may develop into a severe problem in adults around their 50s.
People who hoard animals typically show limited insight regarding the problem. Many people with hoarding disorder also experience other mental disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or alcohol use disorder.
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".
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.
In a physical, energetic sense, narcissists are like black holes, sucking into themselves everything around them in an attempt to fill the utter emptiness that comprises them. And this is where the materialism—or, when extreme, a tendency toward hoarding—comes into play.
Personality disorders involve pervasive patterns of distorted thinking, feeling, and behaving, leading to significant distress and functional problems, often seen as intense mood swings, unstable relationships, difficulty with self-image, impulsive/risky actions, extreme suspicion, emotional detachment or drama, difficulty controlling anger, sensitivity to criticism, trouble with boundaries, and issues with empathy or morality. These signs manifest differently across the various types, such as Borderline, Narcissistic, or Avoidant Personality Disorders, but generally impact how a person sees themselves, interacts with others, and manages emotions.
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.
Anti-anxiety medications help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, such as panic attacks or extreme fear and worry. The most common anti-anxiety medications are called benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are a group of medications that can help reduce anxiety and make it easier to sleep.
The 15-Minute Rule for OCD is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) technique where you delay performing a compulsion for 15 minutes when an obsessive thought triggers anxiety, allowing the urge to lessen naturally as you practice exposure and response prevention (ERP). It teaches your brain that discomfort decreases without the ritual, building resilience and breaking the obsessive-compulsive cycle by gradually increasing tolerance for uncertainty and distressing feelings.
Now, a pilot study by Stanford Medicine researchers suggests that a virtual reality therapy that allows those with hoarding disorder to rehearse relinquishing possessions in a simulation of their own home could help them declutter in real life.
Decluttering Tips For Hoarders With Checklist
The main talking therapy used to treat hoarding disorder is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This focuses on how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and behaviour. Evidence suggests that both individual and group CBT can help.
The constant building of clutter in the house of hoarders makes it impossible for family members to live a healthy life. It can have appalling effects on their mental health and can lead to severe depression and suicidal ideation.
The "6-second rule" for autism is a communication strategy where a speaker pauses for about six seconds after asking a question or giving information, giving the autistic person extra time to process it without feeling rushed, which helps reduce anxiety and allows for a more thoughtful response, reducing frustration for both parties. Instead of repeating or rephrasing, which can be confusing, you wait, and if needed, repeat the exact same words after the pause.
Main signs of autism
finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling. getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own. seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to.
If you're supporting someone who's hoarding, whether they agree or not, you should try to keep these important points in mind: