Hoarding!
The worst compulsive disorder
Hoarding is NOT OCD
- Hoarding is both biologically and neurologically distinct from OCD.
- The same type of treatment used for OCD will not work for Hoarding
- While OCD symptoms fluctuate, hoarding will usually get progressively worse
Why do people hoard?
- They believe inanimate items to have sentimental value
- They think objects have a potential value in the future
- They reason that keeping items will help to jog memory
- They have no where else to put them
Treatment Options!
Frost and Gail Steketee of Boston University published a treatment manual for therapists in 2007
What to do?
- Create a list of pragmatic questions to ask yourself before buying/keeping an item
- Over time, gradually develop a tolerance to hoarding items
- Through proper treatment, there is an estimated 70% chance of improving!