{"id":9654,"date":"2014-11-06T11:00:31","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T11:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=9654"},"modified":"2022-11-27T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-11-27T12:00:00","slug":"hoarding-truth-lies-beneath-mess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/hoarding-truth-lies-beneath-mess.htm","title":{"rendered":"Hoarding Disorder -Causes and the Truth About the Clutter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hoarding<\/a><\/strong>Extreme clutter<\/a>, or hoarding disorder? What is the difference?<\/p>\n

Is hoarding a mental illness?<\/h2>\n

Hoarding can be something it’s tempting to write off as eccentricity, a bad habit<\/a>, or the result of laziness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But hoarding disorder is a real and overwhelming psychological condition where someone cannot discard or part with their items without feeling extremely distressed<\/a>. Regardless of an item’s value they feel a need to save things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Like all mental health disorders, hoarding disorder directly and consistently<\/strong> affects a sufferer’s life. This can include jeopardising health and safety, undermining financial security<\/span><\/a>, and stressing relationships<\/a> with friends and family. And it doesn’t come out of nowhere, but has roots in things like childhood trauma<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What sort of mental health disorder is it?<\/h2>\n

For a long time hoarding was seen as a symptom of another psychological diagnosis, obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD<\/span><\/a>). It was also thought to sometimes appear in severe cases of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

But in most cases of extreme hoarding no signs of either of these other disorders were found. So the most recent edition version of America’s well-known Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)<\/span><\/a> now lists “hoarding disorder” as a standalone diagnosis.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Is it hoarding disorder or is it collecting?<\/h2>\n

Most of us like having things. Whether it\u2019s a<\/strong> shed full of tools and garden equipment or shoes that have a closet of their own, the world is full of objects that add variety and pleasure to our lives. And collectors enjoy arranging, displaying and adding to their collections.<\/p>\n

With hoarders, there is no \u201creplacing,\u201d only adding more to the pile. And it’s not an act of enjoyment for hoarders, either. The jumble of acquisitions triggers feelings of shame<\/a> and despair<\/a> instead.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

‘Why am I a hoarder?’<\/h2>\n

\"hoarding<\/a>Hoarding is the result of disordered thoughts<\/a> and behaviours a hoarder suffers from. This includes:<\/p>\n