![]() People may hoard objects for many reasons, says Michael Tompkins, PhD, a psychologist and co-author of Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring. If they’re no longer able to cook meals in their own home, if they can’t live safely in their own home, if they’re a threat to others, that’s where we’d say it crosses the line.” “Lots of people may acquire things they don’t need, but if it’s not the sort of thing that causes an inability to function adequately, we don’t call it hoarding. The Root of Hoarding: What Lies at the Bottom of That PileĮxperts usually draw the line between a merely messy lifestyle and hoarding “when it comes to the person’s ability to function,” Tolin says. And treating it requires more than a big box of trash bags. Hoarding’s effects can extend beyond an overstuffed home. We’re talking about a surprisingly common disorder that had never really been recognized,” he tells WebMD. “Panic disorder might affect 1%, and obsessive-compulsive disorder maybe 2%. ![]() Two percent to 5% of Americans may meet the criteria for being hoarders, says psychologist David Tolin, PhD, a hoarding specialist and author of Buried in Treasures. This problem has gained wider visibility in recent years, thanks in part to several hoarding-related television shows. Sometimes there’s more than your average share of odor, dust, mold, or other types of structural damage,” she says. There’s obviously the assault on your eyes of the quantity of the clutter, then there’s the appreciation of what a mishmash the clutter is. “It’s a pretty sensory experience, let me put it that way. In the past 25 years, she’s also entered the homes of about a dozen people who could be diagnosed as hoarders - and countless others who came close. ![]() As a professional organizer, the Decatur, Ga., woman helps clients straighten messy closets, tame stacks of paperwork, and bring order to their chaos. Judith Kolberg is accustomed to walking into cluttered homes. ![]()
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