What makes people hoarders

Hoarding disorder can cause problems in relationships, social and work activities, and other important areas of functioning. Potential consequences of serious hoarding include health and safety concerns, such as fire hazards, tripping hazards, and health code violations.

It can also lead to family strain and conflicts, isolation and loneliness, unwillingness to have anyone else enter the home, and an inability to perform daily tasks, such as cooking and bathing in the home.

Specific symptoms for a hoarding diagnosis include American Psychiatric Association, :. The hoarding causes major distress or problems in social, work or other important areas of functions including maintaining a safe environment for self and others.

Mental health professionals may also ask permission to speak with friends and family to help make a diagnosis or use questionnaires rating scales to help assess level of functioning. Some individuals with hoarding disorder may recognize and acknowledge that they have a problem with accumulating possessions; others may not see a problem.

Excessive acquisition occurs in the vast majority of cases and—although not a core diagnostic feature—should be carefully monitored. In addition to the core features of difficulty discarding and clutter, many people with hoarding disorder also have associated problems such as indecisiveness, perfectionism, procrastination, disorganization and distractibility. These associated features can contribute greatly to their problems with functioning and the overall severity.

Animal hoarding may form a special type of hoardindisordder and involves an individual acquiring large numbers dozens or even hundreds of animals. The animals may be kept in an inappropriate space, potentially creating unhealthy, unsafe conditions for the animals. People who hoard animals typically show limited insight regarding the problem.

The cause of hoarding disorder is unknown. Due to its recent classification, the neurobiology of hoarding disorder in humans is a newly burgeoning field; making it somewhat premature to draw firm conclusions.

Hoarding is more common among individuals with a family member who also has a problem with hoarding. A stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one, can worsen symptoms of hoarding. Hoarding disorder has a symptom profile, neural correlates, and associated features that differ from OCD and other disorders. 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. Most studies report onset between 15 and 19 years of age. Early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment are crucial to improving outcomes. Treatment can help people with hoarding disorder to decrease their saving, acquisition, and clutter, and live safer, more enjoyable lives. Randomized controlled trials have established cognitive behavioral therapy CBT for hoarding disorder as an effective treatment.

During CBT, individuals gradually learn to discard unnecessary items with less distress—diminishing their exaggerated perceived need or desire to save these possessions. Adults aged 55 and older are three times more likely to develop HD than younger adults. The average age for a person seeking help for HD is around Adolescents can also have HD. This is because young people tend to live with parents or roommates who can help manage hoarding behaviors. HD can begin interfering with daily activities around age 20, but may not become severely problematic until age 30 or later.

These symptoms and signs include:. Diagnosis and treatment of HD is possible. However, it may be difficult to persuade a person with HD to recognize the condition. Loved ones or outsiders may recognize signs and symptoms of HD long before the person with the condition comes to terms with it.

Treatment for HD must focus on the individual and not solely on the spaces that have become overrun with clutter. A person must first be receptive to treatment options in order to change their hoarding behavior.

Someone seeking treatment for HD should first see their doctor. A doctor can evaluate HD through interviews with the person as well as their loved ones. A thorough medical evaluation may also help diagnose any other underlying mental health conditions. This should be directed by a medical professional. Research has shown that this type of treatment can be useful. A review of literature indicated that younger women who went to several CBT sessions and received several home visits had the most success with this line of treatment.

CBT can be done in an individual or group setting. The therapy focuses on why someone may have a hard time discarding items and why they desire to bring more items into a space. The goal of CBT is to alter behavior and the thought processes that contribute to hoarding. CBT sessions may include creating decluttering strategies as well as discussing ways to prevent bringing in new items to the space.

Peer-led groups can also help treat HD. These groups can be friendly and less intimidating to someone with HD. They often meet weekly and involve regular check-ins to provide support and evaluate progress.

No medications exist specifically to treat HD. Some may help with symptoms. A doctor may prescribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor to help with the condition. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Overview Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Hoarding disorder. Arlington, Va. Accessed Feb. Help with hoarding disorder. American Psychiatric Association. Mataix-Cols D. Hoarding disorder. New England Journal of Medicine. Mataix-Cols D, et al. Hoarding disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course, assessment, and diagnosis. Treatment of hoarding disorder in adults.

Phillips KA, et al. Merck Manual Professional Version. Brakoulias V, et al. A meta-analysis of the response of pathological hoarding to pharmacotherapy. Psychiatry Research. Tolin DF, et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: A meta-analysis. Depression and Anxiety.