What is hoarding
Hoarding is a mental disorder. It causes people to save and value items that others don't value. Usually they save these items in excess. Learn more from the American Psychiatric Association's What is Hoarding webpage.
Individuals with hoarding disorder frequently also have diagnosis of:
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD)
- Depression
Signs of hoarding
- Unable to discard possessions
- Difficult to get around the house
- Floor and counter space within common areas of the home used as storage space
- Fear or embarrassment of having visitors in the home
- Isolation
- Compulsive and emotional collecting of items
- Limited living space in the home due to clutter
Hazards of hoarding
- Poor health and living conditions
- Unorganized stacked items can fall over causing physical harm to the owner and pets
- Without proper removal of trash and waste ammonia causes health risks
- A multitude of items has an increased fire hazard
- Blocked entrances and exits
Measuring hoarding activity
We measure hoarding using the scale from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. Find out more about measuring hoarding here.