Hoarding Disorder
Ali Baxter
What is Hoarding?
Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with items because they are believed to be of value.
What are the Symptoms?
Symptoms of hoarding include:
- Persistent inability to part with any possession, regardless of it's value
- Excessive attachment to possession
- Cluttered living spaces
- Keeping stacks of papers
- Letting food or trash build up
- Acquiring uneeded items
- Procrastination
- Shame or embarrassment
- Limited or no social interactions
Famous Hoarders
What Causes Hoarding?
There is no known cause of hoarding. Genetics, brain chemistry and stressful life events are being studied as possible causes. Contributing factors include being raised in a chaotic home, cognitive processing issues, ADD, anxiety, depression, guilt about waste and genetics.
How is Hoarding Diagnosed?
Mental health providers give a full psychological evaluation and ask about acquiring and discarding items and emotional well being.
Treatments and Prognosis
The treatments for hoarding are cleaning the home, therapy and even medication. Hoarding can be cured.
Who is Prone to Hoarding?
Anyone can be a hoarder, however, it's more common in older men. Little is known about the correlation of hoarding.
Ongoing Research and Controversies
The ongoing research about hoarding is controversial. Researchers don't know if hoarding is hereditary, or who is more prone to it.
Television Shows About Hoarding
Hoarding: Buried Alive
Airs on TLC
Hoarders
Airs on Lifetime
Hoarders
Airs on A&E