Hoarding

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Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

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Definition

Hoarding is the excessive collection of items that seem to have limited or no value, such as newspapers or trash, along with the inability to discard them. Hoarding creates such cramped living conditions that entire rooms may be filled to capacity, and homes may be left with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Some people also collect animals, keeping hundreds of dogs, cats or other animals in their homes, as filth and waste pile up and the animals become sick.

Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, is thought to be connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder. But many aspects of hoarding remain a mystery, and researchers continue to learn about this recently recognized problem.

While some people poke fun at hoarding, it's no laughing matter. People who engage in hoarding put themselves and even neighbors in danger because of fire hazards, unsanitary conditions and even the real possibility of getting buried under an avalanche of junk. Treating compulsive hoarding sometimes proves difficult because people who hoard often don't see it as a problem. But intensive treatment can help people who hoard understand their compulsions and perhaps even live a safer and more enjoyable life.

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Symptoms