Hoarding: When You Can't Throw it Away

Most of us hang on to far more things than we'll ever need. Maybe, just maybe, we will need that faded shirt or ancient file some day.

Some people find it hard to throw anything out, though. They keep stacks of magazines or boxes of useless stuff all over. Piles of mail cover the dining table so no one can eat there. While family members grow frustrated, the hoarder is unaware that he or she has a problem.

Extreme hoarding may be a symptom of - or linked to - obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder in which people become fixed on certain thoughts and continue to repeat irrational behaviors. In this case, hoarders are driven to acquire and save objects of no value.

Hoarding symptoms can get worse over time and can turn a home into a safety hazard. Cluttered floors raise the risk of someone tripping and falling. Dust and mold can trigger headaches, asthma and allergies. Blocked doors and old newspapers create fire hazards. Pets can't find litter boxes. Clutter and filth attract insects and rodents.

How to recognize a hoarder
Don't confuse a compulsive hoarder with a pack rat. A hoarder's urge to save things takes over his or her life. He or she may be driven not to waste things, even things of little or no value. Hoarders may collect paper cups, rubber bands, animals or receipts. Possessions become a form of security and attachment.

Experts estimate that 700,000 to two million Americans are compulsive hoarders. While hoarding is thought to be related to OCD, early research suggests it may be a separate problem. Scientists have found that hoarders have a distinct pattern of brain activity from non-hoarders with OCD.

Hoarding may have a genetic link, too. Up to 85 percent of hoarders have a relative who also has the problem, according to the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. Environment may also play a role.

Symptoms common to hoarders include:

• Indecision (e.g., whether to keep or save things)
• Fear about not having or losing something
• Distress about throwing things away or having them removed
• Perfectionism, which makes them avoid tasks and perform slowly
• Poor organizing skills
• Using too many details when talking
• Not letting people in their homes
• Anxiety
• Depression

Help for hoarders
Hoarding is not about being lazy or messy. This is a psychiatric illness that will not improve without treatment. Just throwing out the person's stuff can set off more symptoms. While hoarding can be hard to treat, counseling and medication may help.

Usually, it's a spouse, landlord or friend who suggests that the hoarder get help. Counselors who treat hoarders may visit the home. They help the hoarder to:

• Address distorted thoughts about the value of items
• Make decisions about what to throw out
• Reduce the fear of loss and distress after discarding things
• Learn not to buy what isn't needed
• Put things away rather than start piles

A class of medication known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) relieves symptoms in many.

Talk to your doctor about what you can do if you or a family member has this disorder.

Related Articles Anxiety Disorders What is Psychotherapy? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

External Sources American Journal of Psychiatry. Cerebral glucose metabolism in obsessive-compulsive hoarding. Accessed August 3, 2007. Saxena S, Brody AL, Maidment Jr. KM, Baxter RL. Paroxetine treatment of compulsive hoarding. J Psychiatr Res. 2007;41:481-487. Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. Compulsive hoarding syndrome - an introduction. Accessed July 30, 2007. American Psychiatric Association. Let's talk facts about obsessive-compulsive disorder. Accessed July 30, 2007.

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