Hoarding

The reasons why someone begins hoarding aren't fully understood.

It can be a symptom of another condition. For example, someone with mobility problems may be physically unable to clear the huge amounts of clutter they have acquired. People with learning disabilities or people developing dementia may be unable to categorise and dispose of items. Mental healthproblems associated with hoarding include:

• severe depression
• psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

In some cases, hoarding is a condition in itself and often associated with self-neglect. These people are more likely to:

• live alone
• be unmarried
• have had a deprived childhood, with either a lack of material objects or a poor relationship with other members of their family
• have a family history of hoarding
• have grown up in a cluttered home and never learned to prioritise and sort items

Many people who hoard have strongly held beliefs related to acquiring and discarding things, such as: "I may need this someday" or "If I buy this, it will make me happy". Others may be struggling to cope with a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one ( bereavement ).

Attempts to discard things often bring up very strong emotions that can feel overwhelming, so the person hoarding often tends to put off or avoid making decisions about what can be thrown out.

Often, many of the things kept are of little or no monetary value and may be what most people would consider rubbish. The person may keep the items for reasons not obvious to other people, such as sentimental reasons, or feeling the objects appear beautiful or useful. Most people with a hoarding disorder have a very strong emotional attachment to the objects.