Many of us have things that we like and enjoy so much that we collect them. When we collect something, we acquire it, accumulate it, display it and store any extras. For some of us, collecting and accumulating things develops into an irrational and uncontrollable urge that is overwhelming. It is much, much more than collecting. It can grow to the point where the accumulation of possessions takes over the home, preventing the use of living areas in the home. This outcome is more common than you might think, and can be quite serious. Psychologists call this extreme problem Hoarding.

A definition of hoarding is a long-standing difficulty getting rid of your possessions, valuable or not, resulting in extreme clutter. You may not even be able to move around the house easily. Studies suggest that two to five out of every hundred people can be classified as hoarders. Let’s say that Fairmont has about ten thousand people. That means that there can be 200 to 500 people in Fairmont who may have a hoarding problem. That is not a small problem. It is useful to look into the details of hoarding behavior.

One detail is the difficulty getting rid of or discarding a person’s possessions…their things, their stuff. They may not want to sell or give away what they have, and destroying something is simply out of the question. A possession may be worthless and worn-out, but still wanted. They feel good when acquiring their things, and can be unhappy with any attempts to remove or discard them. The objects that have been accumulated can also actually have sentimental and/or emotional value. The history of the objects is what is important, not the dollar value. That can also be part of accumulating large numbers of objects.

A second detail is the basic nature of why they save things. The goal is to save whatever they possess. The resulting clutter is the result of purposeful saving and an aversion to discarding things. It is not that they are lazy or just messy. A person who hoards may explain their behavior by saying that the accumulated items have emotional or sentimental value, that the possessions are useful, or that the items are attractive or pleasing to look at. These reasons are similar to those of non-hoarders when they say why they have the things they keep. The difference between the people is the quantity they need to be satisfied.

A third detail is how the possessions are organized. All of the hoarder’s treasures are typically in what may be described as disorganized clutter. The space that is cluttered may not be used without some difficulty, if it can be used at all. The hoarder may want to get a particular item that they know they have, but they can’t find it.

A fourth detail is the frustration they feel because of the inability to live normally and use the living spaces in the home. What if you can’t use your washing machine, your sofa, your table or your bathtub because you can’t get to them? Cooking, cleaning and hygiene may pay the price. Yet another detail is what happens in stores. Research suggests that eight or nine out of 10 hoarders cannot pass up anything free, something that they can just take, or that they are compulsive shoppers. Passing up a sale or discount is quite difficult. Buying thighs typically is the biggest contributor to the clutter.

The burden of hoarding turns out to be more serious than just some odd behavior. It is serious and more prevalent than one might have realized. It is also a challenge for those in the mental health profession who try to treat hoarders. The sooner that they are able to have this problem addressed, the better.