Collecting is a widely enjoyed hobby by many people across the country, and many of us who collect are intensely proud of our collections, eager to talk about them and show them off. Most collections are benign and reasonable, perhaps we bring home a souvenir spoon or magnet from everywhere we visit, or we seek out and collect rare baseball cards, lovingly storing them or displaying them in specially built cases or binders. But compulsive hoarding is a detrimental behavior that is completely different than simply having a sprawling collection or two.
The International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation reports that the signs of hoarding include
- Accumulating more and more items at home, even when there is no space for them
- Saving junk mail, packaging material, newspapers, and items most would consider obsolete or useless
- Compulsive shopping, sometimes with purchasing several of the same item
- Leaving items in their original packaging unopened
- Experiencing difficulty or discomfort when choosing which items to keep and which to discard
- Having trouble reaching or locating the items that a person really needs
The house or apartment where they’re living may be so filled with objects that it becomes unsanitary or dangerous. It may be impossible to safely reach the kitchen, or the bathroom or any other necessary rooms. The clutter on the floor can also create risks for falls and other injuries.
Approximately 3 to 5% of the population in the United States suffers from compulsive hoarding. Statistically small, but that’s still 19 million people. And not only the one hoarding suffers, but their friends and family around them suffer as well.