Hoarding Disorder Is on the Rise

Mark was always a loner. His reclusiveness worsened when the coronavirus pandemic emerged. He shied away from having visitors at his home, including members of his family. When he died recently, his family was shocked to discover that he had been living in squalor; there were mounds of newspapers and junk mail, and piles of books, trash, and broken gadgets scattered everywhere. The worst was the smell—the overwhelming musty odor that pervaded the house.

Mark had been a compulsive hoarder, but his family was not aware of it.

Hoarding disorder is a common condition. It is much more prevalent than we might think, and there has been a recent spike in cases.

Collyer's Syndrome and Compulsive Hoarding

Compulsive hoarding has only recently been classified as a disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the past, it was called Collyer's syndrome, named after reclusive brothers Homer and Langley Collyer, who became infamous for their compulsive hoarding in the mid-twentieth century. The two lived in a Harlem mansion, which they filled with books, furniture, medical equipment, and human organs pickled in jars. After an attempted break-in, they turned their house into a fortress—boarding up the windows and setting up booby traps to crush intruders.

Hoarding disorder is now understood as a mental health condition, and also one that is on the increase. Not to be confused with hoarding in the sense of accumulating something (such as hoarding toilet paper or hand sanitizer during the pandemic), hoarding disorder is described as a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need for them. People with this condition acquire an excessive amount of items and then store them in a disorganized manner, resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter and mess. But hoarding is about more than just being messy or untidy. It's also about more than just collecting things, like books or stamps.

Compulsive hoarders find it extremely challenging to part with anything, including clothes, papers (e.g., mail and newspapers), and containers (e.g., boxes and plastic bags). In more extreme cases, some people hoard garbage, expired food, or even live animals. They form a strong emotional attachment to their possessions. Giving up any item, whether it has monetary value or not, can cause them extreme distress.

Why is hoarding disorder on the rise?

Hoarding is a topic of morbid fascination for some, and it has been the sensational subject of a number of reality TV shows, including Hoarders. For viewers, the behavior seems bizarre and unusual, but the condition is actually common today.

It is thought that the coronavirus pandemic lead to hoarding behaviors in many people. As in Mark's case, loneliness and isolation are big factors. Compulsive shopping can also coincide with hoarding behavior; when people buy things they don't need or want and are then unable to part with their 'collection,' or even admit that it has become a problem.

Even though the pandemic is now on the decline, continued problems with supply chain issues, the threat of nuclear war, and the increasing cost of living are giving rise to more cases of hoarding disorder, perhaps in an effort to protect themselves against an uncertain future. Recently, some cities in the U.K. set up specialist teams to deal with the growing problem.

Researchers believe that hoarding disorder affects one in every 50 people, although it may impact as many as one in every 20. In those over 60 years old, the prevalence is as high as 6 percent of the world population. With an aging population, rates of those with hoarding disorder are feared to continue to increase.

Hoarding disorder also co-occurs with other mental health conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In particular, hoarding behaviors are prevalent among people with clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder. For people with depression and anxiety, compulsive hoarding can be a coping mechanism for fear of the future.

How to Get Help

Even during these uncertain times, there are ways to get help for this condition. It's not easy to treat a hoarding disorder, even when the person is prepared to get help, but it is possible. The main treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), while antidepressant medications have also been shown to benefit some people with hoarding disorders. Treatments require motivation, commitment, and practice because it can take many months to achieve one's goals.

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