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Individuals with compulsive hoarding have difficulty discarding things, as they think there is a perceived need to save them. As a result, these individuals usually experience distress and have an excessive collection of items, irrespective of their value. However, in most cases, this disorder is treatable with cognitive behavioural therapy.
Read along to learn all about this disorder, its types, causes and treatment methods involved.
Compulsive hoarding is a mental health condition where the concerned individual feels a strong need to collect or save a lot of items. As a result, these people might also impair the functionality of their daily life.
These hoarded items generally include household goods, magazines, newspapers, and clothing. Apart from these, a few individuals may also collect a large number of animals that have not been cared for properly.
Additionally, compulsive hoarding might also move towards dangerous clutter. This condition might hamper your daily life, causing shame and stress in a social environment. Furthermore, it can also create unsafe and unhealthy living conditions.
Hoarding might come in different forms, and a few of the common types include the following –
People who have book hoarding often justify their hoarding by explaining their need to keep information in hand. Book hoarding is also considered bibliomania, which refers to saving papers, books, and files. Although it is most likely that they will never use it, they save it anyway.
This form often starts with a noble intention of rescuing animals, but later it might result in animal hoarding. In this case, they start accumulating animals they can take care of, and rather than giving them away, these individuals often go on accumulating them. Although the common forms include dog or cat hoarding, individuals can accumulate any animal.
Shopper hoarding happens when an individual buys many things but doesn't use them. Instead, they usually keep these things unopened, with the price tag attached. These objects can come from anything like televisions, clothing, food, photos, collectables, etc.
In general, trash hoarding implies the disorder where an individual saves or keeps a pile of garbage at their residence. But, in a few instances, they can also go through others' trash to find their own treasures to bring with them. Nevertheless, due to piling trash, there are chances of rodents, pests and vermin that may spread diseases and other viruses.
In the case of food hoarding, individuals usually bring a lot of food while shopping for groceries, despite their refrigerators being full. As a result of collecting a huge amount of food, they rot and attract different bugs, rodents, germs and viruses. Besides this, after buying excessive food, food hoarders generally don't throw out their food, and it starts piling up at their homes.
Individuals with paper hoarding collect all types of papers like receipts, bills, books, invoices, magazines, coupons, photos, junk mail, report cards, recipes, etc. Unfortunately, this type of hoarding invites a significant risk of fire and can be life-threatening for some.
People suffering from compulsive disorder might not recognise their symptoms earlier. In a few cases, the onset of traumatic and stressful events, such as relationship problems, can be the onset of symptoms. Regardless, a few of the most common symptoms include the following –
People with compulsive hoarding may hoard for the following reasons, which are their main trigger points.
Additionally, a few experts also believe that hoarding disorder is associated with –
Although the causes of compulsive hoarding are a moot topic, it is commonly believed that a combination of several factors primarily develops this.
If you hoard things, you are most likely to be a perfectionist. This is because people who hoard things fear making mistakes and find it hard to make decisions. They also find it difficult to plan ahead or work to perform certain tasks.
Some people with painful experiences and complicated feelings usually go through hoarding. Often these individuals find it hard to express their emotions, believing that hoarding keeps their anxiety in check. They also believe that hoarding helps them cope with their mental health and helps them avoid feeling afraid or upset.
In a few cases, a traumatic incident can be linked to the start of hoarding. A few such instances include the following –
A few believe that hoarding might relate to the childhood experience of losing things. Also, it extends to not owning things or having uncaring parents. Furthermore, a few experiences might also include –
In general, compulsive hoarding starts from 11 to 15 years of age, and the condition usually deteriorates with age. Hence, this is common in adults and includes a few risk factors.
Compulsive hoarding can be difficult to diagnose, as most people do not accept the symptoms. Additionally, in most instances, individuals suffering from compulsive hoarding don't seek treatment for fear of losing their belongings.
However, if you feel that you are suffering from compulsive hoarding, visit a psychiatrist, and for diagnosis, they usually ask a few questions, such as –
Sometimes, a doctor might also need to visit the patients' residences, or the patient has to show them a picture of their residence. Additionally, one must display the following signs of Compulsive Hoarding for diagnosis.
With proper treatment, most individuals can lessen the symptoms of compulsive hoarding and lower the risk of complications. Healthcare professionals also treat this problem with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
During CBT, a person will most likely experience improved relaxation, enhanced decision-making skills, and be more organised. This quality also enhances the probability of future management of compulsive hoarding.
Apart from CBT, in some cases, medications are also prescribed as a treatment for compulsive hoarding. This is especially true if compulsive hoarding is related to other mental conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Irrespective of the stage, you must consult a doctor if you suspect you suffer from compulsive hoarding. However, if you have symptoms such as –
Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to prevent compulsive hoarding disorder. However, in most cases, you can develop symptoms of compulsive hoarding at an early age, but later it can become a mental health issue.
However, in addition to professional treatments, you can opt for a few home remedies and lifestyle changes. In this regard, a few of the steps include the following –
According to a study, it is proved that compulsive hoarding is more common in older adults, although it might begin during adolescence. Also, during hoarding, the decision-making capabilities of an individual are usually hampered; hence, an individual might need companionship. So, if you feel your child or your loved one is suffering from compulsive hoarding, seek immediate help from medical professionals.
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Disclaimer #2: This information is added only for informative purposes and collected from different sources across the Internet. Digit Insurance is not promoting or recommending anything here. Please verify the information before making any decisions.
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