Hoarding disorder is a condition that makes it difficult for people to throw things away, regardless of their value. There are a range of treatment options available.
Hoarding disorder can have a significant negative emotional, social, financial, and legal impact.
This article provides important information about hoarding disorder, including the symptoms, causes, and treatment options.
People with hoarding disorder may find it difficult or stressful to throw away items that others view as worthless or of little value.
Unlike collectors — who choose to collect a specific type of item — people with hoarding disorder tend to acquire various items. These may include piles of clothes, old magazines, food wrappers, and childhood trinkets.
Over time, they may run out of room to store these things, so they may have to display their belongings chaotically.
Some people with hoarding disorder might even start to acquire living things, including companion or farm animals. This can endanger both human and animal welfare due to factors such as overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, and a possible lack of veterinary care.
Other symptoms that people with hoarding disorder may experience include:
People with hoarding disorder also tend to experience associated issues with:
Typically, the symptoms of hoarding disorder will begin during a person’s early teenage years, with the average age of onset being 13 years old.
Hoarding disorder can result in a range of negative emotional, social, physical, financial, and even legal complications.
For example, clutter may overrun someone’s home, blocking access to important living, cooking, and working spaces.
Other common complications or consequences associated with hoarding disorder include:
As well as these complications and consequences, people with hoarding disorder may also experience mental health conditions such as:
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With the right treatment, most people with hoarding disorder can reduce their major symptoms and the risk of complications.
Healthcare professionals tend to treat hoarding disorder using a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
During CBT sessions for hoarding disorder, a mental health professional will gradually teach people how to part with unnecessary items less stressfully.
CBT can also help a person improve relaxation, organization, and decision making skills. This can help with future management of hoarding behaviors.
In some cases, medication may also play a role in treatment. This is particularly the case when hoarding disorder is related to other conditions that respond well to medication, such as severe anxiety or depression.
Researchers do not yet know why people develop hoarding disorder.
Usually, people with hoarding disorder are driven to obtain and keep items that:
Surrounding themselves with these items may also comfort the person.
Although researchers are not certain what causes people to develop hoarding disorder, several risk factors seem capable of triggering or worsening the symptoms. These include:
Hoarding disorder can also be a symptom of another condition, most commonly:
Less commonly, hoarding disorder is also associated with:
Diagnosing hoarding disorder can be difficult, as many people with the condition are not willing to admit that they have it or are unwilling to seek treatment, often for fear of losing their belongings.
To diagnose someone with hoarding disorder, a psychiatrist will usually ask the person some questions about themselves, their belongings, and their homes. Common questions include:
The doctor may also ask to see pictures of the person’s major living areas or ask to visit it themselves to better assess the extent or impact of their symptoms.
For a diagnosis of hoarding disorder, someone will need to display:
For an accurate diagnosis, a psychiatrist will also need to make sure that hoarding disorder is not a symptom of another condition.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, around 2–6% of the population of the United States has hoarding disorder.
Some research suggests that hoarding disorder is more common among males than females.
People with symptoms of hoarding disorder should try to talk to a doctor, particularly if these symptoms:
Family members or friends may want to meet with a doctor or mental health professional to learn how to broach the topic of diagnosis and treatment with someone they suspect has hoarding disorder.
Loved ones may also want to accompany someone to their first mental health meeting to make them feel more comfortable.
Having someone else attend early mental health appointments may also help give the doctor a better perspective of the person’s habits, home, and interpersonal relationships.
It is also worth noting that community public health agencies may have programs and services dedicated to helping people with hoarding disorder.
In extreme cases, local state or governmental authorities and agencies may need to become involved in someone’s treatment, such as to provide child or animal welfare services.
Early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment usually increase the likelihood that someone with hoarding disorder can reduce the severity of their symptoms.
Untreated hoarding disorder is likely to become chronic, often getting more severe over time.
People with signs of hoarding disorder should try to speak to a doctor or mental health professional as soon as possible.
People who think that someone they know may have hoarding disorder should consider contacting a mental health professional to learn how to help the person seek treatment.
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