Photo: RF._.studio

What personality disorder causes hoarding?

Hoarding is a disorder that may be present on its own or as a symptom of another disorder. Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.

adaa.org - Hoarding: The Basics | Anxiety and Depression

Do banks take moldy money?

Even if cash is smelly or dirty, banks give their customers credit for the deposit, said Garrett Francis, the Boston Fed's director of Cash...

Last updated Jan 11, 2020

How does God want us to live daily?

God's daily goal for us is to walk in the Spirit; that's the only way we will not gratify the desires of our flesh, which is continually waging war...

Last updated Dec 20, 2020

Promotion

I’ve always had trouble throwing things away. Magazines, newspapers, old clothes… What if I need them one day? I don’t want to risk throwing something out that might be valuable. The large piles of stuff in our house keep growing so it’s difficult to move around and sit or eat together as a family. My husband is upset and embarrassed, and we get into horrible fights. I’m scared when he threatens to leave me. My children won’t invite friends over, and I feel guilty that the clutter makes them cry. But I get so anxious when I try to throw anything away. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, and I don’t know what to do. This example is typical of someone who suffers from hoarding. Read on to learn more, including the differences between hoarding and collecting.

Understanding Hoarding

Hoarding is the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. The behavior usually has deleterious effects—emotional, physical, social, financial, and even legal—for a hoarder and family members. For those who hoard, the quantity of their collected items sets them apart from other people. Commonly hoarded items may be newspapers, magazines, paper and plastic bags, cardboard boxes, photographs, household supplies, food, and clothing.

Find out about animal hoarding.

Hoarding can be related to compulsive buying (such as never passing up a bargain), the compulsive acquisition of free items (such as collecting flyers), or the compulsive search for perfect or unique items (which may not appear to others as unique, such as an old container).

Symptoms and Behavior

Someone who hoards may exhibit the following:

Inability to throw away possessions

Severe anxiety when attempting to discard items

Great difficulty categorizing or organizing possessions

Indecision about what to keep or where to put things

Distress, such as feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed by possessions

Suspicion of other people touching items

Obsessive thoughts and actions: fear of running out of an item or of needing it in the future; checking the trash for accidentally discarded objects Functional impairments, including loss of living space, social isolation, family or marital discord, financial difficulties, health hazards

Reasons for Hoarding

What math formula Do snipers use?

The basic formula is 1.047 inches at 100 yards, or, for practical purposes, 1 inch at 100 yards. For every 100 yards the bullet travels, you add 1...

Last updated Oct 30, 2018

Is it hard to be a sniper?

Being sniper isn't just about being an excellent marksman — although that's important. But when you're in an operational status, you have to...

Last updated Mar 3, 2019

Promotion

People hoard because they believe that an item will be useful or valuable in the future. Or they feel it has sentimental value, is unique and irreplaceable, or too big a bargain to throw away. They may also consider an item a reminder that will jog their memory, thinking that without it they won’t remember an important person or event. Or because they can’t decide where something belongs, it’s better just to keep it. Hoarding is a disorder that may be present on its own or as a symptom of another disorder. Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. Although less often, hoarding may be associated with an eating disorder, pica (eating non-food materials), Prader-Willi syndrome (a genetic disorder), psychosis, or dementia.

Diminished Quality of Life

A lack of functional living space is common among hoarders, who may also live in unhealthy or dangerous conditions. Hoarders often live with broken appliances and without heat or other necessary comforts. They cope with malfunctioning systems rather than allow a qualified person into their home to fix a problem. Hoarding also causes anger, resentment, and depression among family members, and it can affect the social development of children. Unlivable conditions may lead to separation or divorce, eviction, and even loss of child custody. Hoarding may lead to serious financial problems, as well.

Learn about staging an intervention.

Hoarding vs. Collecting

Hoarding is not the same as collecting. In general, collectors have a sense of pride about their possessions and they experience joy in displaying and talking about them. They usually keep their collection organized, feel satisfaction when adding to it, and budget their time and money. Those who hoard usually experience embarrassment about their possessions and feel uncomfortable when others see them. They have clutter, often at the expense of livable space, feel sad or ashamed after acquiring additional items, and they are often in debt. Fugen Neziroglu, PhD, ABBP, ABPP, is Director of the Bio-Behavioral Institute, in Great Neck, New York

adaa.org - Hoarding: The Basics | Anxiety and Depression

What food Cannot be taken on a plane?

Foods you can't pack in your carry-on Think: creamy cheeses, liquid chocolate, liquid coffee, creamy dips and spreads, gravy, honey, hummus, ice...

Last updated Jun 10, 2021

Where do millionaires put their money?

Stocks and Mutual Funds Many millionaires and billionaires made their money — at least in part — by investing in the stock market, or by owning...

Last updated Dec 9, 2021

Promotion

Who believed that humans are naturally kind?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau ' Just over a century later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau countered that human nature is essentially good, and that we could have...

Last updated Jun 3, 2020

Promotion

Is reading Overnight good?

In general, studying at night is good for night owls who tend to be more alert and energetic in the evening. It is also good for anyone who cannot...

Last updated Feb 1, 2019