Understanding Hoarding Disorder Signs & Symptoms Treatment

Hoarding disorder or eating disorder is a significant mental health condition characterised by the excessive accumulation of items, difficulty discarding possessions, and an overwhelming amount of clutter that disrupts the normal use of living spaces. This can severely impact an individual’s physical health, safety, social relationships, and overall quality of life. 

What is a Compulsive Hoarding Disorder?

Eating hoarding disorder goes beyond simply accumulating items or being disorganised. It is a persistent condition that involves:

• Compulsive acquisition of possessions: A person may feel a strong urge to acquire items, often without regard for their value or necessity.
• Difficulty discarding possessions: Even when items are no longer needed, there is often an intense emotional attachment that makes it hard to part with them.
• Clutter that interferes with daily life: The accumulation of possessions leads to severe clutter that can make living spaces unsafe, unsanitary, or unusable.

For many individuals, hoarding becomes an all-consuming habit that negatively affects their health, safety, social relationships, and ability to carry out basic daily activities.

Types of Hoarding Disorder

• Acquiring Hoard: The individual has a strong urge to acquire new items, even when they do not need them. This may involve collecting things such as newspapers, clothes, or even free items that are offered without cost.
• Cluttering Hoard: The person struggles to keep their living spaces organised, leading to the accumulation of items that result in an overwhelming amount of clutter.
• Sentimental Hoard: The individual may develop an emotional attachment to specific items, such as photographs, gifts, or family heirlooms, which makes it difficult to discard them even if they no longer serve any functional purpose.

Each type of hoarding comes with its own unique challenges and may involve varying degrees of severity.

What Causes Compulsive Hoarding Disorder

The exact causes of hoarding disorder are not fully understood, but current research suggests that a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors plays a significant role. Some of the factors that may contribute to the development of hoarding disorder include:

• Genetic factors: Research indicates that hoarding disorder may run in families, suggesting a genetic predisposition to the condition.
• Psychological factors: Many individuals with hoarding disorder have underlying mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Emotional attachments to possessions may provide a sense of security, especially for individuals with a history of trauma or loss.
• Brain function abnormalities: Studies suggest that some individuals with hoarding disorder may experience abnormalities in brain areas responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, and organisation. This may make it particularly difficult to manage possessions or make decisions about what to keep and what to discard.
• Environmental stressors: Experiences of trauma, significant life stressors, or major life changes (such as bereavement or moving house) may trigger or exacerbate hoarding behaviours.

Compulsive Hoarding Signs and Symptoms

The hoarding symptom can vary from person to person, but they generally include:

• Difficulty discarding items: Even items that no longer have practical use or sentimental value are difficult to let go of.
• Excessive accumulation: This leads to cluttered living spaces that make it difficult, if not impossible, to use the spaces as intended (such as sleeping in a bedroom, cooking in a kitchen, or using a bathroom).
• Strong attachment to possessions: An individual may feel that their items define their identity or provide emotional comfort, even if they are of little practical or financial value.
• Social isolation: Many individuals with hoarding may withdraw from family and friends due to embarrassment or shame, leading to social isolation.
• Difficulty organising: A person with hoarding disorder may have difficulty sorting or categorising possessions, which leads to further clutter and disorganisation.
• Financial strain: Hoarding may result in financial difficulties due to excessive spending on acquiring more items, or even avoiding paying bills to prioritise possessions.

These symptoms can have a profound impact on the individual’s ability to function in everyday life, including maintaining relationships, managing household chores, and caring for their physical and mental health.

Diagnosis of Hoarding Disorder

At Chase Lodge Hospital, our approach to diagnosing hoarding disorder is thorough and comprehensive. A diagnosis typically involves:

• A detailed clinical interview with a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, to explore the individual’s behaviours, thoughts, and emotions related to their possessions.
• A review of the severity of clutter and the extent to which it interferes with the person’s daily activities.
• Screening for co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• If necessary, a physical assessment of the living environment may be conducted to understand the impact of clutter on physical health and safety.

Hoarding Disorder Treatment Options at Chase Lodge Hospital

At Chase Lodge Hospital, we offer tailored compulsive hoarding treatment plans to help individuals manage hoarding disorder and improve their overall quality of life. Treatment is often a combination of therapeutic interventions, medication, and practical support services.

1. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is considered the most effective therapeutic approach for hoarding disorder. At Chase Lodge Hospital, our experienced therapists use CBT techniques such as:

• Cognitive restructuring: Helping individuals identify and challenge irrational thoughts or beliefs about their possessions.
• Gradual exposure: Encouraging individuals to gradually face the discomfort of discarding items in a controlled, supportive environment.
• Behavioural strategies: Assisting with organising possessions and developing better decision-making skills around keeping or discarding items.

2. Medication

Medication may be used to address underlying mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or OCD, that are contributing to hoarding behaviours. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or other appropriate medications may be prescribed to help regulate mood and reduce obsessive thoughts.

3. Supportive Services

To aid recovery, Chase Lodge Hospital also offers practical support through:

• Case management services: Helping individuals navigate daily responsibilities and organise tasks related to decluttering.
• Specialist clean-up and decluttering services: Working with professional organisers to help individuals clean and reorganise their living spaces in a structured and compassionate manner.
• Family therapy and education: Supporting loved ones to better understand hoarding disorder and how they can provide ongoing encouragement and support.