With popular reality shows like Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive , this problem has come into great focus. The viewer peeks into the lives of people who are overwhelmed with belongings; every room of a hoarder's house contains mountains of clutter, garbage, and junk that the average person would easily toss. The spectrum from clutter to hoarding is wide, but people can become emotionally attached to their piles of stuff, not willing or able to let anything go.
The Science of Hoarding
Accumulating belongings may fill an emotional hole left by trauma; it allows individuals to avoid dealing with their pain. Many people who hoard describe a rush when acquiring new items, especially if the item is free or considered a bargain; and these individuals go to great lengths to justify their collections when questioned by others. If a family member or friend removes these belongings without the person’s permission, the person feels violated and anxiety may be triggered.
One study asked participants to make decisions about keeping or chucking items, some belonged to them or some did not belong to them. Researchers found abnormal activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula of the brain, known for decision-making and risk assessment. The people who hoard are unable to make decisions about discarding the items they own.
It is unclear whether hoarding is due to heredity or environment. But half of the people who hoard have a family member who hoards. And there is evidence that links compulsive hoarding to a region on chromosome 14 —which has also been linked to disorders such as Alzheimer's and other cognitive impairments.
Hoarding is a type of compulsion, and it’s estimated that about one in four people with OCD also compulsively hoard . It is also related to obsessive-compulsive personality disorder , attention -deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as anxiety and depression .
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