{"id":120874,"date":"2020-11-26T15:51:19","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T12:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/when-hoarding-becomes-a-health-problem\/"},"modified":"2020-11-26T15:51:19","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T12:51:19","slug":"when-hoarding-becomes-a-health-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-hoarding-becomes-a-health-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"#When hoarding becomes a health problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#When hoarding becomes a health problem<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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Hoarding is a recognized mental health condition and should be treated as such\u2014without the stigma associated with high-profile cases seen in the media<\/a>, a UNSW clinical psychologist says.\n <\/p>\n

Hoarding can affect anyone\u2014no matter their age, gender or finances\u2014and if you are wondering how to help a loved one you might only see at Christmas, an academic clinical psychologist shares her expertise to help avoid tension this festive season.<\/p>\n

Professor Jessica Grisham of UNSW Science<\/a> has more than 16 years’ experience researching and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and OC spectrum disorders, such as hoarding.<\/p>\n

An international authority on hoarding disorder, Prof. Grisham acknowledged the physical manifestation of hoarding\u2014for example, a house filled with rubbish\u2014was confronting and stigmatizing, but noted that it was a mental health issue.<\/p>\n

“It has been an uphill battle to shift people’s perceptions of hoarding, but we have made some progress through identifying it as a psychological disorder in the most recent DSM-5<\/a> (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders\u2014Fifth Edition),” she said.<\/p>\n

“Hoarding is a severe disorder and is more common than many might think\u2014an estimated 2.5 percent of people<\/a> have this problem.<\/p>\n

“It’s a myth that people who hoard are just lazy or messy\u2014hoarding disorder is a treatable mental health condition and we need to make the public aware of that and remove the stigma\u2014people with hoarding problems are much less likely to seek treatment if they feel ashamed.”<\/p>\n

Prof. Grisham said hoarding was also a serious disorder because of the health and safety risks it posed to the person with the condition and to the wider community.<\/p>\n

“A Melbourne study in 2009<\/a> showed hoarding fire incidents accounted for only 0.25 percent of all residential fires but 24 percent of preventable fire fatalities during the same period,” she said.
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“And NSW Fire and Rescue<\/a> states that 12 percent of all fire fatalities in NSW are people reportedly living in hoarding and squalor conditions. These tragedies show just how acute the issue is.”<\/p>\n

An extreme, emotional attachment to objects<\/b><\/p>\n

Prof. Grisham said hoarding was a deeply ingrained attachment to possessions that in some cases might have its roots in a traumatic event\u2014for example, the death of a loved one\u2014and co-existing mental and\/or physical health issues.<\/p>\n

“The official psychiatric diagnosis is defined in the DSM-5 as a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of actual value, that leads to a perceived need to save the items and significant distress associated with no longer having them,” she said.<\/p>\n

“So, a person who hoards is excessively attached to their belongings and this prevents them from discarding those items, leading to a huge amount of clutter in their homes\u2014to the point they are unable to live or function the way other people do.”<\/p>\n

Hoarding is different to being untidy or having extra stuff in your home, Prof. Grisham said.<\/p>\n

“Many people relate to having a disorganized space or a bit of extra clutter, but they are otherwise able to function properly in their home and would be happ<\/a>y to have the mess tidied up and the rubbish thrown out,” she said.<\/p>\n

“The difference with someone who has a hoarding problem, however, is their extreme emotional attachment to things\u2014they would feel very upset or threatened if anyone tidied up, cleaned or removed their objects.<\/p>\n

“When the hoarding problems cause extreme interference in a person’s life or they experience significant distress as a result of it, then we would consider it to be a clinical disorder, rather than someone who has just let their stuff get out of hand.”<\/p>\n

In addition to the above signs of a potential hoarding problem, Prof. Grisham said people who hoard might also feel shame or anxiety and try to hide their hoarding.<\/p>\n

“Maybe they never have visitors in their home or, it’s been a long time since anyone has been there and you suspect something is wrong. For example, the house might smell or a build-up of clutter can be seen from the street,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Another sign is of new possessions continually entering the person’s home\u2014perhaps they frequently engage in online shopping or comb op shops, nature strip<\/a>s or car boot sales and always take things home. This might be a worrying sign clutter is building up.”<\/p>\n

Preventing or discouraging hoarding<\/b><\/p>\n

Prof. Grisham said helping someone with their hoarding problem was extremely challenging, but there were several important considerations:<\/p>\n