Facts About Hoarding

Hoarding, thanks to new TV shows and documentaries, is becoming a more and more visible issue in America. According to Renae Reinardy, a psychologist in North Dakota, an estimated 3 million people in the United States are hoarders. "Most people did not see it as a problem 10 years ago. They thought, 'Well, my mother is just a pack rat,' " Reinardy said. Today, at least 100 conferences about hoarding are held annually.

Basic Definition

• The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding as the "excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them." It is also known as compulsive hoarding or compulsive hoarding syndrome, and can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. Many people may associate hoarding with laziness or being a pack rat, but it's more serious than that, says Sanjaya Saxena, MD, director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Program at the University of California in San Diego. "It is, in fact, a neuropsychiatric disorder that will not get better unless the person is treated."

Symptoms

• Besides the visible signs of hoarding like clutter in the home and difficulty discarding items, many hoarders share behavioral symptoms such as shame, embarrassment, self-imposed isolation from friends and family, and excessive emotional attachment to inanimate objects. They have difficulty managing and organizing not only their items, but also their daily activities, which can lead to procrastination and falling behind on important responsibilities. Hoarders typically stockpile items they feel have some sort of future use or sentimental value.

Risk Factors

• While hoarding can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, some risk factors make it more likely to affect a person. Family members of people with a compulsive disorder are more likely to share symptoms of that disorder. A history of alcohol abuse can also increase the risk; the Mayo Clinic states that about half of all hoarders have a history of alcoholism. Stressful or traumatic life events such as divorce or the death of a loved one can also make people more likely to turn to the comfort of hoarding.

Treatments

• According to the Mayo Clinic, cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common form of psychotherapy used to treat compulsive hoarding. As part of the therapy program, the hoarder learns to organize and categorize his items, practices relaxation skills and attends group therapy sessions. In addition to behavioral therapy, prescription medications may be administered. The medication most commonly used in hoarding treatment is an antidepressant such as paroxetine, or Paxil. Not everyone responds to this treatment; the most effective treatment plan is one that is customized to the patient.