What are the symptoms of hoarding disorder?

Hoarding disorder is a severe psychological disorder in which a person feels a strong need to save a large number of items, whether they have monetary value or not, and experiences significant distress when attempting to get rid of the items.

A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Hoarding can have a huge impact on a person’s ability to function independently and can carry a high level of risk for themselves and others.

People with hoarding disorder feel a strong need to save their possessions. Other symptoms include:
*Inability to discard items.
*Become extremely attached to possessions.
*Collecting items that may have little or no monetary value.
*Experiencing extreme stress when attempting to throw out items.
*Anxiety about needing items in the future.
*Uncertainty about where to put things.
*Difficulty managing daily tasks.
*Find it hard to categorize or organize items
*Distrust of other people touching possessions.
*Living in unusable spaces due to clutter.
*Having poor relationships with family or friends.
*Having a tendency toward indecisiveness, perfectionism, avoidance, procrastination, and problems with planning and organizing.
What are the symptoms of hoarding disorder?

Hoarding disorder

A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. Attempts to part with possessions create considerable distress and lead to decisions to save them.

The items can be of little or no monetary value. The behavior usually has deleterious effects—emotional, physical, social, financial, and even legal—for a hoarder and family members. It can cause people stress and shame in their social, family, and work lives. It can also create unhealthy and unsafe living conditions. Typical hoarded items include newspapers, magazines, paper products, household goods, and clothing.

Hoarding is a disorder that may be present on its own or as a symptom of another disorder. Mental health problems associated with hoarding include:

*Severe depression
*Psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia
*Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

The difference between a "hoard" and a "collection" is how these items are organized. A collection is usually well ordered, and the items are easily accessible. A hoard is usually very disorganized, takes up a lot of room and the items are largely inaccessible. Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter.

People hoard because they believe that an item will be useful or valuable in the future. Or they feel it has sentimental value, is unique and irreplaceable, or too big a bargain to throw away. They may also consider an item a reminder that will jog their memory.
Hoarding disorder