Obsessive Disorders: Compulsive Hoarding

Imagine, if you will, a room cluttered with books, magazines, clothes, knick-knacks and God knows what else! This room was designed to be a bedroom but you would never know it by the clutter surrounding the bed. There is virtually no walking room. What walking room there is, you would have to be a beanpole to slide through the slim path. Is this a room of a teenager or is it a room of a potentially mentally ill person? Could be both, I suppose, but in this case it is the latter except there is no "potentially mentally" ill in the equation. There is no question that this person suffers from some sort of mental defect.

The act of collecting objects, whether they are shoes or book or even clocks, is what is called hoarding. A more professional meaning of a hoarder would be "...the excessive collection and retention of things or animals until they interfere with day-to-day functions such as your home, health, family, work and social lives.

A compulsive hoarder does not behave the same ways that a person who enjoys collecting stamps or dolls. A hoarder, often times, has difficulty in parting with the items they accumulate. The fear is that they may need those items in the future. The items that most compulsive hoarders collect are newspapers, magazines, old clothing, bags, books, mail, notes and lists.

The difference between a compulsive hoarder and a normal collecting can be demonstrated in three different manners. First, a hoarder has an obsessive need to collect and save objects even though it does cause some anxiety on the part of the hoarder. Usually there is a perceived need for the object based on either the value of the object or there may be an emotional attachment to the item. The second difference would be as described in the first paragraph above. An obsessive collector's house or room will no longer be suitable for a comfortable living when the accumulated item begins to take over the living quarters. In other words, the living quarters have become unlivable. Soon the bed becomes so cluttered that the hoarder can no longer sleep in it. It will become impossible to use portions of the house in which they were originally were intended to be used. Last but not least is the effect on one's ability to function both personally and socially. Hoarders will become embarrassed by the clutter so they stop inviting people over. It also causes distress on the hoarder themselves because they, in fact, realize they have a problem but simply don't know how to control it.

Treating compulsive hoarding is a challenging task since it does involve changing that person's behaviors. Some hoarders find it difficult to seek help because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. They there are others who, despite knowing they have a problem, fear giving up any of their possessions. While medications, such as Paxil and Zoloft, help alleviate symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, they have limited success with compulsive hoarders. Behavioral therapy is the best method for combating compulsive hoarding. In therapy, the therapist helps the patient understand why they save items. They also teach them organizational skills and decision making skills. Both, of which, cause the hoarder a great deal of problems.

Hoarding can be difficult to overcome since it does involve changing one's behavior. But it can be done. Just remember that the first step in recovery is to admit that there is a problem that must be dealt with. From there it will get easier.