Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding Disorder Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - Clean The Clutter

Wanting not to throw things and storing every little item is not a Hoarding Disorder. While collecting is a part of it, Hoarding Disorder is a serious mental condition that can affect relationships, daily life, and even safety. While the only problem may seem to be clutter in daily life, the condition can cause blocks in the patient's daily routine and overall well-being.

Below, we look at the Hoarding Disorder and understand the condition in detail. Other than studying the Hoarding Disorder symptoms, causes, and types of Hoarding Disorder, we will discuss if and when you should seek help and the family's role when dealing with someone suffering from Hoarding Disorder.

What Is Hoarding Disorder?

Hoarding Disorder is not just over attachment to things; it's a serious condition where people struggle to let go of things in their possession, irrespective of their price. The extreme need to hold onto tangible things causes excess clutter in living spaces, making it difficult to function normally at home. While it is known to create physical chaos, the condition also adds emotional distress and can affect personal relationships and work life in a bad way.

Types of Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding is a mental condition and can be of many types. Each of them has its set of challenges; being aware of the types helps you understand the issue well and take the correct steps. Here are the different forms Hoarding Disorder can take-

Object Hoarding

Hoarding objects is the most common form of Hoarding Disorder. It includes collecting things like clothing, papers, boxes, household goods, and more. It also includes the habit of not getting rid of old, dysfunctional items and filling up functional spaces into storage, creating clutter everywhere for everyone living in the same household!

Animal Hoarding

Animal hoarding is another form of Hoarding Disorder that involves keeping more animals than what a person can take care of. It leads to unsanitary and unsafe conditions for both self and the animals, which can lead to serious health hazards despite good intentions.

Digital Hoarding

The practice of collecting digital data like emails, screenshots, messages, files, apps, and photos is called digital hoarding. It causes extreme clutter in the virtual space on digital devices, which is another form of Hoarding Disorder.

What Causes Hoarding Disorder?

Like most other mental conditions, not one but several factors contribute to the disorder. The disorder is often caused by a mix of complex factors like:

Genes- Mental conditions or Hoarding Disorder running in a family may cause the development of the issue in an individual. The hoarding tendency can be passed down through the family and generations.

Trauma- Emotional events that have left the trauma of loss can trigger the hoarding behaviour. Keeping things in possession and showing difficulty in letting things go often is a coping mechanism for loss.

Mental Health Issues- Other mental illnesses can also trigger Hoarding Disorder. It is often linked with conditions like OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), anxiety, and depression. Underlying conditions like these can add to the need to hold onto possessions as a form of emotional security.

What Are The Symptoms Of Hoarding Disorder?

Mental health is still a stigma and often goes under-treated and undiagnosed. Many times, the symptoms are ignored, which then leads to issues in life and relationships. These issues can be easily avoided if we know what symptoms to look out for and get help at the right time. Here are the Hoarding Disorder symptoms you need to keep an eye out for:

Continued Difficulty in Dumping Useless Items

While some may say finding value is important, finding value in everything leading to clutter, dump, and hygiene issues is a problem.

Cannot Let Go Of Anything

Letting go of people, places, and things that mean something may be difficult, but facing extreme anxiety at the thought of discarding or donating unused or unusable items is a warning sign.

Effects On Daily Life & Relationship

If attachment to things comes in the way of someone's daily and social life, it's time to get help. People with Hoarding Disorder sometimes face issues with daily tasks like cooking, washing, meeting people, etc., due to their obsession with the things they hoard. Also, cleaning is particularly difficult for people suffering from Hoarding Disorder!

How Is Hoarding Disorder Diagnosed?

The diagnosis of Hoarding Disorder involves mental health evaluation by professionals. The process is guided by DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). It tests for the key factors-

Difficulty in discarding things

Causing extreme clutter in daily life

Significant emotional distress

A detailed psychological assessment done by clinicians determines if the symptoms and the behaviour align with the criteria. It helps the professionals to develop an accurate and effective treatment plan based on the stage and requirements of the patient.

Hoarding Disorder Treatment

Treatment for Hoarding Disorder depends on the requirements of the patient. The plan is tailored for every patient and often combines several approaches-

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

It is a powerful therapy that helps people rethink their over-attachment to the possessions they hold and start developing easy but practical strategies to declutter the mess. CBT addresses the thoughts behind the hoarding behaviour, paving the way for a meaningful change.

Medication

In cases when Hoarding Disorder is linked with other underlying conditions like depression, anxiety, and OCD, medication can be beneficial. Antidepressants are often prescribed to help a person suffering manage their symptoms along with other treatments.

Professional Organizers

Organizers simply do the job of decluttering and cleaning the space, making it more functional. Giving the job to professionals means delegating a difficult task to experts. While taking professional organizers' help in the patient's presence can be an ordeal, decluttering in their absence can be helpful for the people living with them.

Support Groups

People suffering from mental conditions find help when they connect with others who have overcome or are undergoing treatment for the same issue. It gives them the motivation they need and a sense of being understood. Support groups give patients a space to share their difficulties, wins, and experiences and help them navigate through similar problems together

Common Myths and Misconceptions about Hoarding Disorder

Understanding Hoarding Disorder means debunking some common myths that often cloud perceptions:

There are several misconceptions about Hoarding Disorder; one of the most important steps in understanding the mental illness is debunking the myths with real facts:

Myth 1: Hoarding Disorder is Collecting Items.

Fact: The statement is partly true. Collecting involves buying, organizing, and displaying things of interest to the person, for example, watches, bags, toys, etc. In contrast, Hoarding Disorder leads to clutter. The person suffering from it fills up living spaces, making it chaotic for self and others living with them. These people are highly incapable of organization.

Myth 2: People with Hoarding Disorder are lazy or messy.

Fact: Hoarding Disorder is a serious mental illness. The condition is not caused by laziness or messiness. It stems from their extreme emotional attachment to things and their inability to let go. The problem requires professional help.

Myth 3: Hoarding only affects older adults.

Fact: While the condition worsens over time, the disorder can happen to people of any age. Early onset of hoarding behaviour can be noticed in children and adolescents as well, not just the elderly, and eventually gets more serious with age.

Myth 4: People with Hoarding Disorder just need to clean up.

Fact: Hoarding Disorder is not laziness; it's a mental condition caused by emotional and psychological issues. It requires more than decluttering. The treatment often involves medications and therapy.

Living With Hoarding Disorder

Similar to any mental illness, dealing with and managing Hoarding Disorder is a journey. It requires a lot of patience, persistence, and following practical strategies, hence the help from professionals. You cannot do it alone. Here are some of the effective ways that can help you:

Taking Small Steps- Decluttering one tiny space at a time is achievable and less stressful to the mind. Also, breaking a big goal into small achievable goals gives you easy wins and the motivation to continue and complete the task without feeling overwhelmed.

Regular Routines- Following a routine is important to see improvement and avoid building up huge clutter, thereby controlling the problem.

Ongoing Therapy- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) addresses the underlying causes of the behaviour. CBT can help with decision-making skills and help with making mindful choices about what to keep and what to let go of

How to Support Loved Ones with Hoarding Disorder

People suffering from mental health issues like Hoarding Disorder need support from their loved ones. While it can be challenging for their loved ones to support them, empathy and encouragement can help these patients improve faster through the journey. Here are some ways family and friends can be of help:

Show Empathy: It is important to treat the ones suffering with patience and kindness. The patients need a non-judgmental, safe space where they feel understood rather than attacked.

Encourage Therapy: Only friends and family can help people suffering from Hoarding Disorder understand that they need help. Since this may seem like an attack, suggesting professional help should feel more helpful than pushy.

Offer Help: As family and friends, you can assist them in decluttering small spaces to make space for new things by making them decide what to keep and discard. Organizing and decluttering small spaces can be a good starting point for managing the disorder, but the key is to be friendly and helpful; the patient should not feel pressure.

Jagruti Treatment and Recovery for Hoarding Disorder

Our team at Jagruti Rehab is dedicated to creating a holistic treatment plan for Hoarding Disorder. Focused on providing a tailored treatment plan to each patient, our team uses a blend of processes for effective results in the best possible way. Our personalized transformative plans include a combination of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), targeted medicines, and practical activities to help individuals suffering from Hoarding Disorder reclaim their lives.

Our targeted approach is designed around our belief system that individuals and their needs are different. Individual responses may vary too towards the treatments, so instead of following a preplanned template therapy, our professionals are committed to taking the journey with the patients. Understanding them through each step and helping them with compassion through the recovery process while they convert their lives and houses into clutter-free and organized is our ultimate motto.

Jagruti Rehab is not a centre for treatment; we are your partners and guides to an emotionally healthier and more manageable life.

Statistics and Facts about Hoarding Disorder

2-6% of people suffer from the Hoarding Disorder. It is more common than the common perception. Here are a few facts and statistics about Hoarding Disorder:

Age of Onset: Hoarding Disorder symptoms start early in adolescence, typically around 11-15. However, the symptoms may not become serious until adulthood, which can often be the reason for neglect. Also, the disorder is more common in elderly people.

Gender: The chances of both men and women developing Hoarding Disorder are the same. The mental condition is not affected by any gender.

Life Impact: People with Hoarding Disorder often experience issues in their daily lives, personal relationships, safety, hygiene, and finances.

Linked Mental Health Conditions: Approximately 75% of people with Hoarding Disorder often suffer from mood and anxiety disorders and some form of depression as well concurrently.

Living Conditions: People suffering from the disorder make the living conditions unhygienic and unsafe for themselves and their loved ones living with them. With their hoarding habit, along with their inability and unwillingness to declutter and clean, they make their homes very difficult to live in over time.