Hoarding Disorder

Most of us aren’t organized all the time. Our house may be a mess, or there’s clutter we need to take out.

Some of us may even joke about being hoarders. However, hoarding is an entirely different beast altogether.

In this post, we’ll explain what hoarding is and how it differs from collecting.

What is Hoarding Disorder?

This is when someone feels distressed about getting rid of any of their possessions, even if they are useless.

For example, someone may collect every receipt they’ve ever had. Soon, it becomes bags upon bags of receipts that fill the house. If someone tries to throw out these bags, the person feels intense distress.

Hoarding can be mild, but it can also be extreme, too.

In some cases, the person’s hoarding fills the house and yard, turning the home into a fire hazard or making the home unlivable. It can be unsanitary and it can be difficult for the hoarder to admit they need help.

Also, hoarding isn’t just limited to inanimate objects. It can be animals, too. For example, someone who has an excessive amount of cats. This can lead to the animals not getting enough food, water, or care for them, putting them in danger.

Another possible consequence of hoarding is being evicted due to how unsanitary and unusable your home is.

While not an official part of hoarding disorder, there’s also the concept of the digital hoarder. This is someone who accumulates many unneeded files on their computer or other device and finds it difficult to delete them.

Hoarding, Collecting, or Clutter?

Quite often, these three terms get confused, and it’s important for someone to know the differences.

Let’s look at all three.

Hoarding

A hoarder has all types of items and does not plan to do so or organize them. They tend to spill out in front of living spaces and make it difficult for the person to live a normal life.

When someone tries to throw away the items, it can cause a person distress.

Clutter

Clutter is when someone has so many items in storage or in other areas that they have acquired over the years.

Clutter isn’t excessive, and it does not affect someone’s quality of life. Usually, a person can sit down and get rid of or sell their cluttered items without distress.

Collecting

This is a person who purchases items of a certain theme and displays them. Baseball cards, video games, movies, music, the list goes on.

Collectors typically plan to buy their items. While there are some collected items that are not for sale, many collectors can sell and trade what they have.

So the next time you call someone a hoarder for having a collection and a bit of clutter, know that hoarding is a lot more severe. Casually calling someone a hoarder when they are not makes the word lose all meaning, and it may cause people to see the difference between a hoarder and someone who collects.

What Causes Hoarding? Can It Be Prevented?

There is no singular cause of hoarding. Quite often, it can be due to several factors.

How one was raised, their genetics, and how their brain functions can be some reasons.

Also, hoarding tends to get worse with age. Early signs start around the preteen and teen years.

Having an indecisive temperament is another reason hoarding can happen. Also, if someone goes through trauma, it can lead to hoarding disorder.

We should also mention that hoarding can correlate to depression, anxiety, OCD, and other mental health disorders.

As for prevention, there is no singular way to prevent hoarding.

The best way is to get help ASAP if you or a loved one are hoarding. The longer hoarding is left untreated, the worse it becomes.

Treatment

Hoarding is a disorder that requires intervention ASAP.

A therapist can teach a hoarder how to control their urges and how to get rid of their items.

Quite often, a loved one has to intervene. Calling the fire department or the proper authorities if someone lives in a dangerous house due to hoarding may be the best first step.

If you suspect you may have mild hoarding symptoms, it’s important that you try to be diagnosed. If you are unable to get out of your house, websites such as Mind Diagnostics can help you.

In extreme circumstances, it can lead to injury or death due to the items falling or being in areas where the person may fall because of them. The hoarder may feel isolated and be unable to work well.

That’s why it’s so important to get help as soon as possible. If you or a loved one are a hoarder, we hope that you get help as soon as possible.