Hoarding disorder
It's not easy to treathoarding disorders, even when theperson is prepared to seek help, butit can be overcome.
The main treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT) . The therapist will help the person to understand what makes it difficult to throw things away and the reasons why the clutter has built up.
This will be combined with practical tasks and a plan to work on. It's important that the person takes responsibility for clearing the clutter from their home. The therapist will support and encourage this.
Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have also been shown to help some people withhoarding disorders.
CBTis a type of therapy that aims to help you manage your problems by changing how you think(cognitive) and act (behaviour). It encourages you to talk about how you think about yourself, the world and other people, and how what you do affects your thoughts and feelings.
Regular sessions of CBT over a long period of time are usually necessary and will almost always need to include some home-based sessions, working directly on the clutter. This requires motivation, commitment and patience, as it can take many months to achieve the treatment goal.
The goal is toimprove the person's decision-making and organisational skills, help them overcome urges to save, and ultimately clear the clutter, room by room.
The therapist won't throw anything away, but will help guide and encourage the person to do so. The therapist can also help the person develop decision-making strategies, while identifying and challenging underlying beliefs that contribute to the hoarding problem.
Theperson graduallybecomes better at throwing things away, learning thatnothing terrible happens when they do so, and becomes better at organising items they insist on keeping.
At the end of treatment, the person may not have cleared all their clutter, but theywill have gained a better understanding of their problem. They will havea plan to help them continue to build on their successes and avoid slipping back into their old ways.
Read about hoarding disorders, including why it might happen, why it's a problem, and what can be done about it.
The reasons why someone begins hoarding aren't fully understood. It can be a symptom of another condition. For example, someone with mobility problems may be physically unable to clear the huge amoun
Many people collect items such as books or stamps and this isnt considered a problem. The difference between a"hoard"and a"collection"is how these items are organised. A collection is usually well-or
Someone who has a hoarding disorder may typically: keep or collect items that may have little or no monetary value, such as junk mail and carrier bags, or items they intend to reuse or repair (see b
Somepeople with ahoarding disorderwill hoard a range of items, while others may just hoard certain types of objects. Items that are often hoarded include: newspapers andmagazines books clothes l
A hoarding disorder can be a problem for several reasons. It cantake over the person's life, making it very difficult for them to get around their house. It can cause their work performance, personal
If you think a family member or someone you know has a hoarding disorder, try to persuade them to come with you to see a GP. This may not be easy, as someone who hoards might not think they need help
It's not easy to treathoarding disorders, even when theperson is prepared to seek help, butit can be overcome. The main treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT) . The therapist will help the p