Pack Rat Disorder

Pack Rat Disorder (PRD), or compulsive hoarding, has come to the attention of mainstream society over the past few years. Pack Rat Disorder is often associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and is defined as the continuous acquisition of items compounded with a failure to dispose of those items that have no kind of value and the person has no use for.

Items

• Compulsive hoarders usually collect common items such as books, clothes and newspapers. They often collect mail, boxes, bags as well as random items. The most severe example of items hoarded by people with PRD are garbage and human excrement.

Severity

• Many people consider themselves to be "pack rats." The difference between your average pack rat and a compulsive hoarder is that the person with PRD collects items in a more extreme fashion. A pack rat may find it difficult to dispose of such items as old yearbooks or old issues of favorite magazines, whereas a person with Pack Rat Disorder will collect items that hold no such personal value. A compulsive hoarder is also completely lacking in organization. Their "collections" will be random and haphazardly placed throughout their home, often dangerously so.

Causes

• There is much study at the moment about the causes of Pack Rat Disorder. It is commonly thought to be associated with OCD due to its obsessive nature. There have also been recent studies indicating that damage to the frontal lobes might have something to do with the onset of the disorder.

Irrationality

• While it is often true that the items hoarded by those with PRD have little or no value, sentimental or otherwise, the hoarders themselves believe that they do. They often demonstrate irrational beliefs for why they must keep all of their stuff, such as "I might need it one day" and "I will find a use for every single one of these things."

Treatment

• As of now, there is no proven successful treatment for Pack Rat Disorder. In fact, PRD is considered to be a variant of OCD that is particularly difficult to treat. PRD does not respond to traditional OCD treatments. One of the main obstacles about treating those with Pack Rat Disorder is that the person does not want to change and sees nothing wrong with his behavior. The best approach so far is the use of CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy.