Is hoarding a mental illness?

Hoarder living in a hoarded house. Mental illness.

Hoarding is clinically diagnosed as Hoarding Disorder in the DSM-5. Someone who is hoarding will have intense issues parting with their possessions no matter the value those items have. While we look at someone’s hoarded home and see piles of newspapers, trash, and broken items those are someone else’s treasures. Many times those items have sentimental value or holding onto them brings the hoarder some type of comfort. Parting with these items can cause extreme anxiety, panic, and even grief.

Hoarding often comes with other underlying disorders such as depression, obsessive behaviors, and trauma. Some people who were raised poor or under unfortunate circumstances grow up with this fear of nothing. Letting go of even the smallest thing can be scary. Others hoard because they fill a void that something else should be taking. 

Nobody wakes up one day and says “Hey I think I’ll start hoarding today.” It starts small, maybe you keep that extra container instead of throwing it away. Maybe you take that extra scrap of paper home from work “just in case.” Slowly things start to pile up until you live in a home you cannot live in. Hoarding is not only unhealthy and unhygienic (lots of bugs, mold, fire hazards) but it’s lonely. Many people are so embarrassed of their home that they won’t let anyone else inside.

Hoarding is also hard because others may not even see that they have a problem. They may become very defensive if you bring it up to them. That is why approaching someone who hoards with love and compassion is important. You shouldn’t go into their home yelling and throw away their items. That will only cause them more anxiety and they will revert back to hoarding. Mental Health! 

Treatment for hoarding can consist of therapy and maintenance afterward. Many therapists take part in Cognitive Behavioral therapy when helping someone who hoards. There are also medications that can help with anxiety and depression that can trigger hoarding. Everyone is different and recovery will look different for each person. Someone may not come back to a completely clean home; that isn’t the goal. Slowly working with your family member to pick up better habits and coping skills is the ideal situation.

Hoarding is not greed or lazy homeowners. It’s a disease that can be treated with time, patience, and help.If you are needing hoarding cleanup services in Fort Worth, Texas, feel free to reach out to us.