"Hoarding disorder is characterized by difficulty letting go of material possessions, excessive or compulsive accumulation of new items, and disorganization that leads to overwhelming clutter. The disorder is associated with greater social isolation, various medical problems, and significantly lower quality of life."
"Hoarding disorder is often misunderstood and overlooked as common over-collecting. However, while collectors focus on acquiring specific items, organizing, and displaying them, individuals with the disorder tend to accumulate a wide variety of things in a disorganized manner, without any clear purpose or system."
"Hoarding disorder was officially recognized as a stand-alone diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in 2013. Before this, it was considered a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder, although, due to key differences such as the absence of intrusive, recurring thoughts, it is now classified as a related but distinct disorder."
Hoarding disorder is a chronic, progressive condition affecting 2-6% of the general population equally across genders and developed countries. It emerges typically in adolescence or early adulthood and is characterized by difficulty discarding possessions, compulsive accumulation of new items, and severe disorganization. Unlike collecting, hoarding involves accumulating diverse items without organization or purpose. The disorder causes significant social isolation, medical problems, and reduced quality of life, with serious complications including falls, eviction, self-neglect, malnutrition, and death. Officially recognized as a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-5 in 2013, hoarding disorder differs from obsessive-compulsive disorder due to the absence of intrusive thoughts. Individuals with hoarding disorder report elevated rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, with depression and poor functioning contributing to these mental health risks.
Read at Psychology Today
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