Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of HoardingSymptoms of Hoarding DisorderDiagnosisWhat Causes Hoarding?Treatments for HoardingCoping With Hoarding Disorder

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types of Hoarding

Symptoms of Hoarding Disorder

Diagnosis

What Causes Hoarding?

Treatments for Hoarding

Coping With Hoarding Disorder

Close

There are a few different types of hoarding that people may experience. Some people may exhibit a specific type of hoarding, while others may experience a more general form.

A person with hoarding disorder is primarily unable to part with objects, items, or possessions, but the disorder can also include what is known asexcessive acquisition. With this behavior, a person actively seeks to acquire more unneeded items.

People who hoard have varying levels of insight into their behavior. Some are able to recognize their maladaptive thoughts and understand how they contribute to hoarding, while others fail to acknowledge that they hoard and don’t connect how they think and feel with the behavior.

People with poor insight may not recognize the severity of their hoarding despite living in uninhabitable living conditions as a result of it.

Potential Risks

When extreme, hoarding can put the person and anyone else in their home, including pets, in danger. For example:

Other risks are specific to what a person hoards. For example, a person who hoards animals may have exotic pets who are more likely to carry pathogens. The risk of illness is increased further if a person who hoards cannot properly care for their animals. Pets that are not groomed or are unvaccinated are vulnerable to disease, which may be passed to their owners or other pets.

Other Consequences

Some other potential consequences of hoarding that are major concerns for people with hoarding disorder and those who live with them include:

It’s also not uncommon for people with hoarding disorder to run into problems with utilities and housing authorities. They also have a high rate of utilization of social service agencies.

Hoarding is a primary symptom of a condition known as hoarding disorder. TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition(DSM-5), classifies hoarding disorder in the category of “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.“

The DSM-5 outlines the following diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder:

Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders

There isn’t a single factor that predisposes someone to hoard or causes the disorder to start. As with other mental illnesses, it’s more likely that factors come together to create the right circumstances internally and externally for the disorder to flourish.

Risk factors for hoarding disorder include:

Some aspects of hoarding may be inherited, as several studies have proposed genetic variables in people who hoard. Research also indicates that an inherent tendency toward generalized indecisiveness is common in people who hoard as well as in their first-degree relatives

Environmental factors, including traumatic or significantlife stressorsand changes, may occur prior to when the hoarding starts and can make the behavior worse.

Prevalence

Around 2% to 6% of the general population in the United States is estimated to have a hoarding disorder. Hoarding behaviors often start in childhood or adolescence and progressively worsen as a person gets older.

Many people who hoard do not get treatment, often because of poor insight, a lack of resources, or shame. Those who do seek treatment are usually 50 years of age or older.

Psychotherapy

Hoarding-specificcognitive behavioral therapy, which involves assisting people to change the way they think and make decisions about their belongings, has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for the disorder.

Treating hoarding disorder is a process. It can take time and may require more than one type of intervention, including:

Medications

There are currently no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments for hoarding disorder.

Antidepressant medications(including SSRIs and SNRIs) may have limited potential as a treatment for hoarding, particularly when a person has another mental health condition such asobsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD). Psychostimulants and cognitive enhancers are also being investigated as possible treatments.

In addition to seeking treatment for your condition, there are some things that you can do to help manage your symptoms and overall well-being.

If you or a loved one are struggling with hoarding, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with hoarding, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Final Thoughts

Hoarding is a mental illness that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for someone to part with possessions, regardless of their monetary value or sentimental worth or lack thereof. The accumulation of items over time often renders a person’s home and living space uninhabitable, and may even put them (and others in the home) in danger.

As with most mental illnesses, the cause of hoarding is complex, and while effective treatment for hoarding disorders takes time and may require more than one approach, such as psychotherapy and medication, help is available.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Patronek G, Ayers C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:137-146.International OCD Foundation.Addressing Housing Issues.American Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Hirschtritt M, Mathews C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press;13:159-176.International OCD Foundation.Who Gets Hoarding Disorder?Steketee G.Treatment for Hoarding Disorder. New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:10.Tolin DF, Meunier SA, Frost RO, Steketee G.Course of compulsive hoarding and its relationship to life events.Depress Anxiety. 2010;27(9):829-38. doi:10.1002/da.20684Eaton J.Compulsive Hoarder Or Pack Rat? How To Tell The Difference.AARP The Magazine.Tolin DF, Frost RO, Steketee G, Muroff J.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: A meta-analysis.Depress Anxiety. 2015;32(3):158-66. doi:10.1002/da.22327Gilbert B, Sohrabi F.Possessed By Possessions: Hoarding Disorder Diagnosis And Treatment. MPR.Grisham JR, Norberg MM.Compulsive hoarding: Current controversies and new directions.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2010;12(2):233-240. PMID: 20623927.Additional ReadingTompkins MA.Clinician’s Guide to Severe Hoarding. Springer; 2014.

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Patronek G, Ayers C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:137-146.International OCD Foundation.Addressing Housing Issues.American Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Hirschtritt M, Mathews C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press;13:159-176.International OCD Foundation.Who Gets Hoarding Disorder?Steketee G.Treatment for Hoarding Disorder. New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:10.Tolin DF, Meunier SA, Frost RO, Steketee G.Course of compulsive hoarding and its relationship to life events.Depress Anxiety. 2010;27(9):829-38. doi:10.1002/da.20684Eaton J.Compulsive Hoarder Or Pack Rat? How To Tell The Difference.AARP The Magazine.Tolin DF, Frost RO, Steketee G, Muroff J.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: A meta-analysis.Depress Anxiety. 2015;32(3):158-66. doi:10.1002/da.22327Gilbert B, Sohrabi F.Possessed By Possessions: Hoarding Disorder Diagnosis And Treatment. MPR.Grisham JR, Norberg MM.Compulsive hoarding: Current controversies and new directions.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2010;12(2):233-240. PMID: 20623927.Additional ReadingTompkins MA.Clinician’s Guide to Severe Hoarding. Springer; 2014.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Patronek G, Ayers C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:137-146.International OCD Foundation.Addressing Housing Issues.American Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Hirschtritt M, Mathews C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press;13:159-176.International OCD Foundation.Who Gets Hoarding Disorder?Steketee G.Treatment for Hoarding Disorder. New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:10.Tolin DF, Meunier SA, Frost RO, Steketee G.Course of compulsive hoarding and its relationship to life events.Depress Anxiety. 2010;27(9):829-38. doi:10.1002/da.20684Eaton J.Compulsive Hoarder Or Pack Rat? How To Tell The Difference.AARP The Magazine.Tolin DF, Frost RO, Steketee G, Muroff J.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: A meta-analysis.Depress Anxiety. 2015;32(3):158-66. doi:10.1002/da.22327Gilbert B, Sohrabi F.Possessed By Possessions: Hoarding Disorder Diagnosis And Treatment. MPR.Grisham JR, Norberg MM.Compulsive hoarding: Current controversies and new directions.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2010;12(2):233-240. PMID: 20623927.

Patronek G, Ayers C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:137-146.

International OCD Foundation.Addressing Housing Issues.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(5th ed.). doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Hirschtritt M, Mathews C.The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring. (Frost R, Steketee G, eds.). New York: Oxford University Press;13:159-176.

International OCD Foundation.Who Gets Hoarding Disorder?

Steketee G.Treatment for Hoarding Disorder. New York: Oxford University Press; 2013:10.

Tolin DF, Meunier SA, Frost RO, Steketee G.Course of compulsive hoarding and its relationship to life events.Depress Anxiety. 2010;27(9):829-38. doi:10.1002/da.20684

Eaton J.Compulsive Hoarder Or Pack Rat? How To Tell The Difference.AARP The Magazine.

Tolin DF, Frost RO, Steketee G, Muroff J.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: A meta-analysis.Depress Anxiety. 2015;32(3):158-66. doi:10.1002/da.22327

Gilbert B, Sohrabi F.Possessed By Possessions: Hoarding Disorder Diagnosis And Treatment. MPR.

Grisham JR, Norberg MM.Compulsive hoarding: Current controversies and new directions.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2010;12(2):233-240. PMID: 20623927.

Tompkins MA.Clinician’s Guide to Severe Hoarding. Springer; 2014.

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