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People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or work spaces.
See definition, symptoms, & treatment
While many people are very resilient, people can experience difficulties in response to trauma, including nightmares, flashbacks, problems focusing, depression or anxiety. Trauma exposure can also result in physical health challenges such as sleep difficulties, headaches, stomachaches and fatigue. Children, teenagers, and young adults can be more vulnerable to the effects of trauma.
Most of us have probably heard, or made the suggestion to someone, to “relax, take a deep breath” as a way to help calm down and reduce stress or anxiety. Breathing techniques have long been used as part of traditional stress reduction practices and their use is supported by much research. Practices involving consciously controlling and focusing on your breathing can be powerful tools for relaxation, stress reduction and mental health.
May is Mental Health Month, and the third week in May is National Prevention Week, an annual health observance focused on raising awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health. You can join online to view the live kickoff event for National Prevention Week on May 15, at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Mental Health America
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
There have been a number of TV shows and other media coverage about people with hoarding behaviors. Has this changed the way people in general view hoarding disorder or peoples’ willingness to get help?
TV shows have raised awareness of the devastating impact hoarding behaviors can have on the individual and their loved ones. It is important for those affected to understand that TV shows, by their nature, may not capture all the time, effort and hard work that is a necessary part of any mental health treatment program. Hoarding, which became a new diagnostic entry in the DSM in 2013, affects about 2-6 percent of individuals. People with hoarding disorder have difficulty parting with possessions, clutter that interferes with normal functioning and marked distress and impairment. More
Are there early signs that a person may have hoarding disorder? Is it primarily a problem among older adults?
Initial start of hoarding symptoms is thought to happen in childhood or adolescence (typical onset is around age 13) and it is chronic and progressive. Hoarding is more common in older than younger age groups.
Below are some early signs that an adolescent may have hoarding behaviors. These behaviors are typically mild, and progress over years. They may become a severe problem in adults in their 50s. However, not every person with hoarding symptoms has a hoarding disorder.
About the Experts:
Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Stanford Hoarding Disorders Research Program Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
Randy O. Frost, Ph.D. Professor, Smith College Member, Scientific & Clinical Advisory Board, The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
Lainie was a 47-year-old single woman referred to a community mental health team for treatment of depression and anxiety. She had never taken any psychiatric medication but had undergone CBT for depression 5 years earlier. more
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MAY 23, 2017
Hoarding is a psychological condition where: 1) individuals have difficulty getting rid of possessions that are no longer useful; and 2) efforts to discard these possessions and not acquire new items cause distress. Television shows such as Hoarding: Buried Alive and Hoarders display in alarming detail the negative emotional and physical impact of this condition upon the individual with the hoarding disorder as well as his or her family and neighbors.
MAY 4, 2017
"A lot of people who accumulate pets or items are actually ashamed or embarrassed of what they got around them or they may feel unwilling to have other people around their homes for that reason. What's really driving the behavior is an anxiety or fear response. It's actually the fear that is perceived or felt by the person with the idea of discarding," Goldman said.
MAY 3, 2017
Hoarding is more common than obsessive-compulsive disorder. People with hoarding disorder often refer to themselves as pack rats or collectors, not hoarders, because it doesn’t sound as bad. Many don’t want you to see the inside of their homes, and they may suffer from other mental problems, too. Many isolate themselves and they may be ashamed or embarrassed about what they do.
International OCD Foundation – Hoarding
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium
Physician Review By:
Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H. November 2015