What is Hoarding Disorder?
As much as 2-4% of the population suffers from hoarding disorder. Individuals with hoarding disorder have difficulty letting go of possessions regardless of their actual value. They believe they need to save items and experience distress if they need to get rid of them. The difficulty with letting items go results in clutter. In turn, this can make it difficult to use living space. For example, clutter in a kitchen can make it hard to cook or eat. Most people with hoarding (but not all) also have trouble with acquiring too much stuff, such as shopping.
Hoarding ranges from mild to severe. In some cases, it may not impact one’s life and in other cases, it may cause serious problems daily.
Signs and symptoms of hoarding may include the following:
- Trouble getting rid of things regardless of value.
- Feeling upset when needing to get rid of items.
- Acquiring many items even if there is no space or they are not needed.
- Inability to use rooms because of too many items.
People with hoarding disorder have certain types of beliefs about their stuff more so than other people:
- Think that their items will be needed later.
- Believe their stuff is unique or beautiful.
- Place great emotional importance on their items
- Feel safer when they are around their items.
- Don’t want to waste anything and don’t want to contribute to polluting or hurting the environment.
- See their stuff as defining who they are, their identity
About Hoarding Intervention 
Treatment for hoarding disorder helps people reduce clutter and acquiring, as well as helps them live safer, healthier lives. The best treatment for hoarding disorder is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or programs based on CBT, such as Buried in Treasures self-help groups. CBT examines how we think and behave. It also teaches us how to change beliefs or behaviors that make the hoarding worse.
CBT helps people do the following:
- Learn about what maintains hoarding problems.
- Challenge thoughts about needing to save items and collect new items.
- Practice going out and not buying or picking up a new item.
- Practicing sorting and discarding stuff.
- Learn skills to get better at decision-making, problem-solving, and organization.
Some of the supports used in this therapy may include the following:
- A team approach, potentially involving family members, close friends, peers with hoarding disorder, social workers, and similar supports (e.g., animal control specialists, property managers), a professional organizer, and a designated coach.
- Individual, family, and group counseling
- Therapy in the home, community (e.g., storage unit, stores), and in a therapist’s office
- Medication evaluation by a psychiatrist
It’s important to know that treatment for hoarding is not forced. Each person works on finding ways to discard clutter, stop collecting, and let go of his or her attachment to objects. The team’s role is to help each person learn new ways to live his or her life without hoarding behaviors while adding meaning to life and considering each person’s values.
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