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The Cause Of Hoarding Disorder

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Definition:
Hoarding is described the difficulty parting with possessions because of a need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences stress at the thought of getting rid of the items (Frost, 2017).This stress is prevented by keeping items of value in their home. Hoarding creates cramped homes that are filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter (Frost, 2017). They are sometimes stereotyped as “pack rats” or “chronic savers”. It is important to know that hoarding is different from collecting as hoarding directly impacts one’s quality of life.
History
Frost’s article “Insight” states: “There is no attributed founder of hoarding disorder (2017). However, throughout history, characteristics …show more content…
It is most related to obsessive compulsive disorder due to the obsessive nature of the patient's need to keep and collect items (Nuncan 2017). Those diagnosed with depression also are found to have ‘compulsive collecting’.
Potential Causes: There is not a definite cause for hoarding disorder, however research suggests that some characteristics can contribute to developing hoarding disorder. Extreme emotional connection to a type of item such as shoes can cause a person to hoard these items due to their emotional connection to them. Lack of organization can cause people to hoard items so that they ‘know’ where certain items are located.
Demographics of Hoarding:
A team of researchers found that about 15 percent of older adults with depression had "severe compulsive hoarding behaviors," while just 2 to 5 percent of non-depressed older adults are hoarders. Hoarding is most contributed to occur in people of age 65 and older as they are more likely to accumulate and store ‘precious’ items. Most hoarders live alone due to paranoia of others touching their things. In some instances, families live in a hoarded house and are forced to live in the hoarded conditions for the benefit of their loved one (Nuncan, 2017). Children are often victims of hoarding disorders but are more likely to attempt to stop hoarding …show more content…
Because most hoarders deny that have the disorder, many do not seek treatment. Because of its connections and similarities with obsessive compulsive disorder, many treatments are the same for both hoarding and OCD. The treatment includes:
“The first line of treatment are SSRI (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors) medications and antidepressants such as venlafaxine (Effexor). ‘Clear-outs’ are not a very effective treatment as hoarders usually go fill the spaces again due to feeling empty. Behavior therapy to address organization skills is beneficial to hoarders because they are able to keep most of their items while creating a better environment for themselves” (“Treatment - Mayo Clinic”,

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