Definition of hoarding disorder

According to the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
 

Hoarding Disorder is the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

This difficulty is due to a perceived need to save the items and to the distress associated with discarding them.

The difficulty discarding possessions results in the accumulation of possessions that congest and clutter active living areas and substantially compromises their intended use. If living areas are uncluttered, it is only because of the interventions of third parties (e.g., family members, cleaners, or the authorities).

The hoarding causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment safe for oneself or others).

 

 

: a psychological disorder characterized by the persistent accumulation of a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others and by the inability to discard such items without great distress
 

NOTE: The accumulation and clutter of items that occur in hoarding disorder lead to significant obstruction and congestion of living areas.
 

Many people with hoarding disorder benefit significantly from cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps reduce clutter and prevent future hoarding.— Robert Ashley

The problem with detecting hoarding disorder is the extremely long time-frame in which it manifests. A person may have traits of the disorder early in life, but functional impairment may take a long time to show up.— Anne HalliwellBesides

dementia, hoarding disorder is the only mental health disorder that increases in severity and prevalence with age …— Emily Gurnon

~ Merriam-Webster.com