Headed for Hoarding?

The term “hoarding” is used today to describe everythingfrom a messy closet to a collection of baseball cards. Although hoardingbehaviors have existed for hundreds of years, the term gained national exposurewith recent television programs portraying extreme cases. Let’s clear up theconfusion by explaining what hoarding IS from a mental health:

Symptoms

·       Difficultydiscarding things, regardless of monetary value

·       Inability to usehome or rooms for intended purpose

·       Thisdifficulty discarding is due to perceived need to save the items and thedistress associated with discarding 

·       Keeping itemsresults in the accumulation of possessions that congest and clutter activeliving areas and substantially compromise their intended use.

·       The hoardingcauses clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational,or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safeenvironment for self and others).

Causes

·       Unresolved grief and loss- having things provides comfort.

·       Depression –lack of motivation and/or fatigue

·       Childhood trauma- having things provides safety vspeople who do not

·       ADHD (unmedicated)– inability to focus on organization; thingsbecome overwhelming

·       Physical/mental disabilities– unable to clean or organize due to physical/mental conditions

·      InformationProcessing Deficits - learning disabilities in either visualand/or auditory perceptions

·       Difficulties with Memory – earlyonset dementia or Alzheimer’s

Reasons people givethemselves for not seeking help:

·      Embarrassment/shame/denial

·      Minimizingbehavior (it’s not that bad)

·      Theseitems give me a sense of safety and comfort.

·      Without these items I don’t know what to do with myself.

·      If I lose these items, my sense of loss and grief willoverwhelm me.

·      I will not be able to cope.

·      I am just disorganized; I am not a hoarder

·      If I had a few days off, I could get this done.

Treatments

·       CognitiveBehavioral Therapy – (CBT) – Change the way you think and it will change theway you feel and act

·       Exposure Methods

·       Reducing acquiring

·       Improveorganizational and/or decision-making skills

·       Replace acquiringwith other pleasurable activities

·       Learnproblem-solving skills

·       Categorizing itemsand their uses

The above information is not a comprehensiveillustration of hoarding causes, symptoms, and treatments and is not meant toreplace a professional evaluation and diagnosis. If you have questions aboutyou and/or a loved one or friend who exhibits similar behavior, please call ouroffice for an appointment. Kala Johnson, MA, LPC specalizes with clients battling hoarding behavior and is available to help!