Even the most organized among us has a junk drawer or closet filled with old clothes, shoes and other items long past their prime. Hoarders, however, take collecting to an entirely new, and often unhealthy, level. The world has watched in fascination in recent years as hoarders have been more widely depicted on cable. Most of us wonder how anyone could live in such a state, while others are curious about how they became hoarders in the first place. In fact, it's a major illness that can seriously interfere with the life of the hoarder, as well has his concerned family and friends. Keep reading to learn more about hoarding, including symptoms, age of onset and possible triggers. Before you self-diagnose, we're not just talking about someone with a few hundred CDs lying around. Instead, clinical hoarding behavior is characterized by the person's inability to function or move about in his own home. Post was gen erated by GSA Content Generat or DEMO!
For example, he can't use his kitchen to cook meals or even reach the bathroom for its intended purpose. As you can imagine, Sales it's not healthy for anyone to live like that, particularly when many hoarders are emotionally attached to actual garbage, often feeling racked with guilt over disposing of something they perceive as important. Many times, neighbors become wise to the situation before anyone else, since pests and odors become unavoidable. Most of the time, they see significant value in items that the rest of us toss out without a second thought. Sometimes, hoarders view objects as having artistic merit: Driftwood, buttons, greeting cards. Or they save items that bring back happy memories -- even if that item is just a fast food restaurant cup. Although collecting or messiness is certainly understandable in moderation, hoarders find significance in virtually anything they encounter, resulting in a home full of more odds and ends than anyone could possibly need.
Some are unable to discard even obvious trash or garbage. It's easy to see how hoarding behavior can quickly spiral out of control. When confronted with suspicions of hoarding, however, people will often emphasize that the collection of such objects helps them feel safer in their own home. Yet hoarders are also often embarrassed about the state of their home and become antisocial. In fact, it's a serious issue among the retired population, many of whom are less likely to be supervised on a regular basis (they are adults, after all). Often, the problem goes unnoticed until a grown child realizes what's going on. The brothers, believed to be among the first documented cases of hoarding, became reclusive hoarders primarily because they feared burglary. For some people, hoarding behavior is triggered following a traumatic life event. Such an experience can range anywhere from the death of a loved one to divorce, eviction or loss of possessions in a fire.
Often people who have had such an experience become depressed, and they can develop hoarding behavior if their depression is not addressed. Post-traumatic emotional issues require professional treatment. Studies have revealed marked differences between the functioning of the brain's frontal lobe in hoarders versus non-hoarders. Specifically, the frontal lobe is the critical segment of the brain that, among other things, helps a person think rationally and consider options. So, in a hoarder's frontal lobe, the question of whether or not to throw something away can easily be confounding. Others, however, hoard them to a degree that's unhealthy for both owner and Fluffy and the gang (dozens, sometimes hundreds). Typically, animal hoarders keep pets inside to avoid detection. Sometimes, a veterinarian catches on when the owner's visits become too frequent, or neighbors detect abnormal smells or noises. Like the hoarding of objects, animal hoarding is a serious issue that requires long-term treatment. Although the brain's composition can increase a person's likelihood to hoard, it's pretty safe to say that plenty of people resist the tendency.
In fact, environmental factors are strongly believed to play a significant role in the development of hoarding behavior. For example, having a family history dramatically increases a person's likelihood of becoming a hoarder, so upbringing, as well as genetic predisposition, can influence development of the disorder. Hoarding often promotes feelings of happiness, since the acquisition of beloved items helps hoarders feel safe and secure. Too often, however, the hoarder becomes overwhelmed with guilt and shame over the appearance of his or able.extralifestudios.com her home, which can begin the dangerous downward spiral into clinical depression. Clearly, a comprehensive psychological evaluation is necessary, during which the clinician will glean as much information as possible about the patient's hoarding tendencies and emotional attachment to the objects. He'll also need to assess the living quarters to differentiate between plain old clutter and true hoarding. Often, he'll also ask to interview family and friends who can provide him with a different view of the situation, such as whether or not the behavior is negatively impacting the patient's day-to-day life.