Hoarding is a behavior where people accumulate and store a large number of items in a chaotic manner, resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition in which a person feels a strong need to save a large number of items, whether they have monetary, sentimental, or functional value. It is different from collecting, which is an organized and intentional acquisition of possessions. Some common features of hoarding disorder include:
- Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.
- Accumulating a large number of items, regardless of their actual value.
- Creating extremely cramped living conditions with narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter.
- Feeling a need to save these items and being upset by the thought of getting rid of them.
- Avoiding having family, friends, or repair workers in the home.
- Experiencing extreme stress when attempting to throw out items.
- Living in unusable spaces due to clutter.
Hoarding disorder can have deleterious effects on a hoarders emotional, physical, social, financial, and even legal well-being, as well as that of their family members. It can cause isolation and self-neglect, and individuals with hoarding disorder have a quality of life as poor as those diagnosed with schizophrenia. The disorder increases family strain, work impairment, and the risk of serious medical conditions.
