What makes people become hoarders

For example, it can:. The hoarding could also be a sign of an underlying condition, such as OCD , other types of anxiety , depression and dementia. If you think a family member or someone you know has a hoarding disorder, try to persuade them to come with you to see a GP. This may not be easy, as someone who hoards might not think they need help.

Try to be sensitive about the issue and emphasise your concerns for their health and wellbeing. Reassure them that nobody is going to go into their home and throw everything out. You're just going to have a chat with the doctor about their hoarding to see what can be done and what support is available to empower them to begin the process of decluttering. Your GP may be able to refer you to your local community mental health team, which might have a therapist who's familiar with issues such as OCD and hoarding.

It's generally not a good idea to get extra storage space or call in the council or environmental health to clear the rubbish away. This won't solve the problem and the clutter often quickly builds up again. It's not easy to treat hoarding disorders, even when the person is prepared to seek help, but it can be overcome.

The main treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy CBT. The therapist will help the person to understand what makes it difficult to throw things away and the reasons why the clutter has built up. This will be combined with practical tasks and a plan to work on. It's important the person takes responsibility for clearing the clutter from their home.

The therapist will support and encourage this. Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs have also been shown to help some people with hoarding disorders. CBT is a type of therapy that aims to help you manage your problems by changing how you think cognitive and act behaviour. It encourages you to talk about how you think about yourself, the world and other people, and how what you do affects your thoughts and feelings.

Regular sessions of CBT over a long period of time are usually necessary and will almost always need to include some home-based sessions, working directly on the clutter.

This requires motivation, commitment and patience, as it can take many months to achieve the treatment goal. The goal is to improve the person's decision-making and organisational skills, help them overcome urges to save and, ultimately, clear the clutter, room by room.

The therapist won't throw anything away but will help guide and encourage the person to do so. The therapist can also help the person develop decision-making strategies, while identifying and challenging underlying beliefs that contribute to the hoarding problem. The person gradually becomes better at throwing things away, learning that nothing terrible happens when they do and becomes better at organising items they insist on keeping. A doctor can evaluate HD through interviews with the person as well as their loved ones.

A thorough medical evaluation may also help diagnose any other underlying mental health conditions. This should be directed by a medical professional. Research has shown that this type of treatment can be useful. A review of literature indicated that younger women who went to several CBT sessions and received several home visits had the most success with this line of treatment. CBT can be done in an individual or group setting. The therapy focuses on why someone may have a hard time discarding items and why they desire to bring more items into a space.

The goal of CBT is to alter behavior and the thought processes that contribute to hoarding. CBT sessions may include creating decluttering strategies as well as discussing ways to prevent bringing in new items to the space. Peer-led groups can also help treat HD. These groups can be friendly and less intimidating to someone with HD.

They often meet weekly and involve regular check-ins to provide support and evaluate progress. No medications exist specifically to treat HD. Some may help with symptoms. A doctor may prescribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor to help with the condition.

These medications are typically used to treat other mental health conditions. Supporting a person affected by HD can be challenging. HD can cause strain between the affected person and loved ones. But the hoarding will likely continue without proper guidance and intervention.

Hoarding disorder is a diagnosable condition that requires the help of a medical professional. With professional help and time, a person may be able to move on from their hoarding behaviors and reduce dangerous and tension-inducing clutter in their personal space. Discover how cognitive behavioral therapy can help with the management of bipolar disorder by replacing negative reactions with objective responses.

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Mataix-Cols D, et al. Hoarding disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course, assessment, and diagnosis. Treatment of hoarding disorder in adults. Phillips KA, et al. Merck Manual Professional Version. Brakoulias V, et al. A meta-analysis of the response of pathological hoarding to pharmacotherapy. Psychiatry Research. Tolin DF, et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: A meta-analysis.

Depression and Anxiety. Ale CM, et al. Family-based behavioral treatment of pediatric compulsive hoarding: A case example. Clinical Case Studies. Morris SH, et al. Hoarding in children and adolescents: A review. Child Psychiatry and Human Development. Sawchuk CN expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.