COMPULSIVE HOARDING SYNDROME

Introduction

• It has been found that 2-4% of college students are compulsive hoarders
• Research shows that between 25-35% of all hoarders are also afflicted with obsessive compulsive disorder
• People with higher education are more prone to become compulsive hoarders
• This type of behavior typically begins during ones childhood and does not become problematic until they reach adulthood
• People who are compulsive hoarders are likely to be single due to the fact that their social life is stunted due to their hoarding
• Hoarders tend to live life in isolation

Causes & Risk factors

• Processing information seems to play a role in what causes this disorder.
• People who have a difficult time figuring out what to do with items can become hoarders
• People with bad memory tend to develop hoarding syndrome
• Becoming irrationally emotionally attached to all items
• Needing to stay in control of all of their possessions
• Those who tend to become stressed about what to keep and what to get rid of

• If symptoms appear in childhood and it is noticed that the child has begun saving items that are seemingly unimportant (old school papers, paper clips, broken pencils, etc) then he or she may be at risk for becoming a hoarder.
• If hoarding runs in the family, others in the family are at risk as well.
• If a person is isolated socially they are at a higher risk for hoarding.
• People who abuse alcohol are at higher risk for hoarding as nearly half of all hoarders are also dependent on alcohol.

Symptoms and signs

• Living spaces that are fully cluttered
• Not being able to get rid of unneeded/unnecessary items
• Switching items around from one area to another without actually doing anything with them or getting rid of them
• Collecting items that are of no use and to others are considered to be trash (napkins, paper cups and other items deemed trash worthy)
• Procrastination
• Feeling shame and/or embarrassment connected to their hoarding
• Social interactions that are either limited or nonexistent
• Finding it difficult to organize things in the home
• Excessive and unhealthy attachment to items
• Being uncomfortable with others touching the hoarded items
• Stressful feelings at the thought of parting with any of the hoarded items

Diagnosis

• Psychological evaluation
• Questions about lifestyle (home life, social life, etc)
• Speaking with friends and family to get their perspective on the patients behavior

• Owning an large amount of items that are of no real use
• Being unable to discard the hoarded items
• Living space is overly full or cluttered, making it hard to move around and use it for its original purpose (having a place to live in and perform daily activities of life in)
• Not being able to accomplish everyday tasks normally, such as bathing, cooking, cleaning and sleeping

• Pathological hoarding
• Disposophobia

Treatment

• Exploration of why the need to hoard developed and is so strong that it continues to be an problem in the patient’s life
• Learning how to organize items in the home
• Learning how to categorize items in the home
• Learning how to make decisions about what to keep and what to throw out
• Learning how to make marked improvement in decision making skills
• Get help through support groups or getting family involved in the therapeutic process
• Keep the counseling an ongoing thing so as to have continued support

Complications Of Disease

• Unsanitary living conditions in the home which can pose a risk to the health of those living in the home
• Conflict with family and friends
• Living in a home that is a fire hazard
• Loneliness and depression that comes from living an isolated life
• Performance at work suffering due to the lifestyle of hoarding
• Not being able to live normally and perform normal tasks such as cooking and cleaning or practicing proper hygiene

Prognosis

Prevention

• Seek treatment the moment it appears that there may be a problem with hoarding
• If you know that hoarding runs in your family, be self-aware to ensure that you do not turn into a compulsive hoarder as well

References