Hoarding disorder - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions FindoutaboutCOVID-19,COVID-19vaccines,andMayoClinicpatientandvisitorupdates. Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion.ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. SectionsforHoardingdisorderSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departments Print OverviewHoardingdisorderisapersistentdifficultydiscardingorpartingwithpossessionsbecauseofaperceivedneedtosavethem.Apersonwithhoardingdisorderexperiencesdistressatthethoughtofgettingridoftheitems.Excessiveaccumulationofitems,regardlessofactualvalue,occurs. Hoardingoftencreatessuchcrampedlivingconditionsthathomesmaybefilledtocapacity,withonlynarrowpathwayswindingthroughstacksofclutter.Countertops,sinks,stoves,desks,stairwaysandvirtuallyallothersurfacesareusuallypiledwithstuff.Andwhenthere'snomoreroominside,thecluttermayspreadtothegarage,vehicles,yardandotherstoragefacilities. Hoardingrangesfrommildtosevere.Insomecases,hoardingmaynothavemuchimpactonyourlife,whileinothercasesitseriouslyaffectsyourfunctioningonadailybasis. Peoplewithhoardingdisordermaynotseeitasaproblem,makingtreatmentchallenging.Butintensivetreatmentcanhelppeoplewithhoardingdisorderunderstandhowtheirbeliefsandbehaviorscanbechangedsothattheycanlivesafer,moreenjoyablelives.Products&ServicesBook:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEditionNewsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEditionShowmoreproductsfromMayoClinic SymptomsGettingandsavinganexcessivenumberofitems,gradualbuildupofclutterinlivingspacesanddifficultydiscardingthingsareusuallythefirstsignsandsymptomsofhoardingdisorder,whichoftensurfacesduringtheteenagetoearlyadultyears. Asthepersongrowsolder,heorshetypicallystartsacquiringthingsforwhichthereisnoimmediateneedorspace.Bymiddleage,symptomsareoftensevereandmaybehardertotreat. Problemswithhoardinggraduallydevelopovertimeandtendtobeaprivatebehavior.Often,significantclutterhasdevelopedbythetimeitreachestheattentionofothers. Signsandsymptomsmayinclude: Excessivelyacquiringitemsthatarenotneededorforwhichthere'snospace Persistentdifficultythrowingoutorpartingwithyourthings,regardlessofactualvalue Feelinganeedtosavetheseitems,andbeingupsetbythethoughtofdiscardingthem Buildingupofcluttertothepointwhereroomsbecomeunusable Havingatendencytowardindecisiveness,perfectionism,avoidance,procrastination,andproblemswithplanningandorganizing Excessiveacquiringandrefusingtodiscarditemsresultsin: Disorganizedpilesorstacksofitems,suchasnewspapers,clothes,paperwork,booksorsentimentalitems Possessionsthatcrowdandclutteryourwalkingspacesandlivingareasandmakethespaceunusablefortheintendedpurpose,suchasnotbeingabletocookinthekitchenorusethebathroomtobathe Buildupoffoodortrashtounusuallyexcessive,unsanitarylevels Significantdistressorproblemsfunctioningorkeepingyourselfandotherssafeinyourhome Conflictwithotherswhotrytoreduceorremoveclutterfromyourhome Difficultyorganizingitems,sometimeslosingimportantitemsintheclutter Peoplewithhoardingdisordertypicallysaveitemsbecause: Theybelievetheseitemsareuniqueorwillbeneededatsomepointinthefuture Theitemshaveimportantemotionalsignificance—servingasareminderofhappiertimesorrepresentingbelovedpeopleorpets Theyfeelsaferwhensurroundedbythethingstheysave Theydon'twanttowasteanything Hoardingdisorderisdifferentfromcollecting.Peoplewhohavecollections,suchasstampsormodelcars,deliberatelysearchoutspecificitems,categorizethemandcarefullydisplaytheircollections.Althoughcollectionscanbelarge,theyaren'tusuallyclutteredandtheydon'tcausethedistressandimpairmentsthatarepartofhoardingdisorder. HoardinganimalsPeoplewhohoardanimalsmaycollectdozensorevenhundredsofpets.Animalsmaybeconfinedinsideoroutside.Becauseofthelargenumbers,theseanimalsoftenaren'tcaredforproperly.Thehealthandsafetyofthepersonandtheanimalsareatriskbecauseofunsanitaryconditions. WhentoseeadoctorIfyouoralovedonehassymptomsofhoardingdisorder,talkwithadoctorormentalhealthprofessionalassoonaspossible.Somecommunitieshaveagenciesthathelpwithhoardingproblems.Checkwiththelocalorcountygovernmentforresourcesinyourarea. Ashardasitmightbe,ifyourlovedone'shoardingdisorderthreatenshealthorsafety,youmayneedtocontactlocalauthorities,suchaspolice,fire,publichealth,childorelderprotectiveservices,oranimalwelfareagencies. RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic CausesIt'snotclearwhatcauseshoardingdisorder.Genetics,brainfunctioningandstressfullifeeventsarebeingstudiedaspossiblecauses. RiskfactorsHoardingusuallystartsaroundages11to15,andittendstogetworsewithage.Hoardingismorecommoninolderadultsthaninyoungeradults. Riskfactorsinclude: Personality.Manypeoplewhohavehoardingdisorderhaveatemperamentthatincludesindecisiveness. Familyhistory.Thereisastrongassociationbetweenhavingafamilymemberwhohashoardingdisorderandhavingthedisorderyourself. Stressfullifeevents.Somepeopledevelophoardingdisorderafterexperiencingastressfullifeeventthattheyhaddifficultycopingwith,suchasthedeathofalovedone,divorce,evictionorlosingpossessionsinafire. ComplicationsHoardingdisordercancauseavarietyofcomplications,including: Increasedriskoffalls Injuryorbeingtrappedbyshiftingorfallingitems Familyconflicts Lonelinessandsocialisolation Unsanitaryconditionsthatposearisktohealth Afirehazard Poorworkperformance Legalissues,suchaseviction OthermentalhealthdisordersManypeoplewithhoardingdisorderalsoexperienceothermentalhealthdisorders,suchas: Depression Anxietydisorders Obsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD) Attention-deficit/hyperactivitydisorder(ADHD) PreventionBecauselittleisunderstoodaboutwhatcauseshoardingdisorder,there'snoknownwaytopreventit.However,aswithmanymentalhealthconditions,gettingtreatmentatthefirstsignofaproblemmayhelppreventhoardingfromgettingworse. ByMayoClinicStaff RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic Diagnosis&treatment Feb.03,2018 Print Shareon:FacebookTwitter Showreferences Hoardingdisorder.In:DiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisordersDSM-5.5thed.Arlington,Va.:AmericanPsychiatricAssociation;2013.http://www.psychiatryonline.org.AccessedFeb.16,2017. Helpwithhoardingdisorder.AmericanPsychiatricAssociation.https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/hoarding-disorder.AccessedFeb.16,2017. Mataix-ColsD.Hoardingdisorder.NewEnglandJournalofMedicine.2014;370:2023. Mataix-ColsD,etal.Hoardingdisorderinadults:Epidemiology,pathogenesis,clinicalmanifestations,course,assessment,anddiagnosis.http://www.uptodate.com/home.AccessedFeb.16,2017. Mataix-ColsD,etal.Treatmentofhoardingdisorderinadults.http://www.uptodate.com/home.AccessedFeb.16,2017. PhillipsKA,etal.Hoardingdisorder.MerckManualProfessionalVersion.http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/obsessive-compulsive-and-related-disorders/hoarding-disorder.AccessedFeb.16,2017. BrakouliasV,etal.Ameta-analysisoftheresponseofpathologicalhoardingtopharmacotherapy.PsychiatryResearch.2015;229:272. TolinDF,etal.Cognitivebehavioraltherapyforhoardingdisorder:Ameta-analysis.DepressionandAnxiety.2015;32:158. AleCM,etal.Family-basedbehavioraltreatmentofpediatriccompulsivehoarding:Acaseexample.ClinicalCaseStudies.2014;13:9. MorrisSH,etal.Hoardinginchildrenandadolescents:Areview.ChildPsychiatryandHumanDevelopment.2016;47:740. SawchukCN(expertopinion).MayoClinic,Rochester,Minn.March1,2017. 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