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Dr. David, Tolin, Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at The Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital explains compulsive hoarding and the causes. Do you think that you may have a problem?
Is hoarding a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Right now, compulsive hoarding is considered by many researchers to be a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, for some people, compulsive hoarding may also be related to:
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Impulse control disorders (such as impulsive buying or stealing) |
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Depression |
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Social anxiety |
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Bipolar disorder |
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Certain personality traits |
How common is compulsive hoarding? What are its features?
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We don't know exactly. Some researchers have guessed that about half of one percent of the population suffers from compulsive hoarding, but the actual number may be much higher. |
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People usually start hoarding during childhood or early adolescence, although the problem usually does not become severe until the person is an adult. |
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Compulsive hoarding may run in families. |
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Many people with compulsive hoarding do not recognize how bad the problem really is; often, it is a family member who is most bothered by the clutter. |
What causes compulsive hoarding?
Compulsive hoarding is thought to result from problems in one or more of these areas:
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Information processing. People with compulsive hoarding often have problems such as:
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Difficulty categorizing their possessions (for example, deciding what is valuable and what is not) |
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Difficulty making decisions about what to do with possessions |
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Trouble remembering where things are (and so they often want to keep everything in sight so they don't forget) |
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Beliefs about possessions. People with compulsive hoarding often:
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Feeling a strong sense of emotional attachment toward their possessions (for example, an object might be felt to be very special, or a part of them) |
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Feeling a need to stay in control of their possessions (and so they don't want anyone touching or moving their possessions) |
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Worry about forgetting things (and use their possessions as visual reminders) |
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Emotional distress about discarding. People with compulsive hoarding often:
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Feel very anxious or upset when they have to make a decision about discarding things |
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Feel distressed when they see something they want, and think they can't feel better until they acquire that object |
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Control their uncomfortable feelings by avoiding making the decision, or putting it off until later |
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More Information
You can find resources on compulsive hoarding and its treatment at these websites:
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Free materials from Dr. Tolin on complusive hoarding: www.instituteofliving.org/
ADC/compulsive_hoarding.htm |
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Obsessive Compulsive Foundation: www.ocfoundation.org |
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The Institute of Living: www.instituteofliving.org/adc |
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Find a professional organizer on the National Association of Professional Organizers' website, www.napo.net. |
Some of this information was adapted by Dr. David Tolin from Steketee & Frost (2003), Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 905-927
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Are you a compulsive cleaner? Do germs and dust make you worry? Share your tips on keeping your home clean.
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 E-mail to a friend | |
