If we look at any home, it is usually a reflection of those living in it. When students move into student accommodation, at the start of a term (not always relevant in Malta), they have to learn to live in a confined space, clean up, cook and do all the things that had been taken care of by their mother up until that time.
Factors associated with compulsive hoarding include alcohol dependence as well as paranoid, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive traits- Kathryn Borg
Some people live a minimalist life and this is reflected by an almost clinical home, with no clutter and clean work areas. Others live in what could be described as a ‘busy’ home with pictures, ornaments, books, generally lots of clutter but in a homely way.
Then there are the hoarders. This can be, at its worst, a sign of a compulsive disorder, or insecurity and even trauma. If it is allowed to continue throughout life it can become unbearable.
Usually, serious hoarders live alone. This was recently brought to light by a TV series in the UK which visited the homes of a number of compulsive hoarders who lived in surroundings you or I could not possibly envisage walking into, never mind eating, washing and sleeping there.
Compulsive hoarding (or pathological collecting) is a pattern of behaviour characterised by the excessive acquisition of large quantities of objects that would seemingly qualify as useless or without value.
Compulsive hoarders show an inability or unwillingness to remove or throw away these items.
Compulsive hoarding behaviour has been associated with health risks, impaired functioning, economic burden, and adverse effects on friends and family members.
When clinically significant enough to impair functioning, hoarding can prevent typical uses of space so as to limit activities such as cooking, cleaning, moving through the house, and sleeping. It can also be dangerous if it puts the individual or others at risk of fire, falling, poor sanitation and other health concerns.
It is not clear whether compulsive hoarding is an isolated disorder, or rather a symptom of another condition, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Prevalence rates have been estimated at two to five per cent in adults, and are greater in older adults than younger groups, in men versus women, and are inversely related to household income.
Factors associated with the disorder include alcohol dependence as well as paranoid, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive traits.
In 2008, a study was conducted to determine if there is a signifi-cant link between hoarding and interference in occupational and social functioning. Hoarding behaviour is often so severe because of poor insight of the hoarding patients, meaning the understanding of a hoarding patient that their behaviours are a problem.
Without insight into what the problem is, it is much harder for behavioural therapy to be the key to successful treatment of compulsive hoarders.
The results found that hoarders were significantly less likely to see a problem in a hoarding situation than a friend or a relative. This is independent of OCD symptoms, as patients with OCD are often very aware of their disorder.
There is no doubt that hoarding traits should be spotted in older parents, especially those who live on their own.
The International OCD Foundation has an excellent website which covers the issues with hoarding in depth and even gives examples of two individuals who have become hoarders and how their family coped with the ensuing problems.
One is regarding a man who began collecting Atari video games, but progressed onto vintage art work and musical instruments. He wasn’t the usual age group and his wife lived with him, so that helped, as she begged him to get help.
He did so, and now helps others in similar situations.
The foundation explains to its readers that hoarding has been a hidden disorder for many years. Before the early 1990s, there was little research on hoarding. Since then, however, interest has increased dramatically among research scientists and clinicians.
Recent media coverage of hoarding has also increased awareness and interest among sufferers, family members, and human service personnel who often deal with the problem.
The Foundation Hoarding Centre is designed to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information about hoarding and its treatment. The five goals of the centre can be found on its website www.ocfoundation.org.
We can hopefully stop this developing from the start. Observe older family members, encourage regular clearing-out of items in the home and take a serious look at yourself – do you hoard?