Someone who compulsively keeps unnecessary things is typically called a hoarder. Depending on the severity and the context, there are a few other words and phrases used to describe this behavior:
In the past, doctors used to think that hoarding was a type of OCD. But now doctors consider hoarding disorder as its own, unique mental health problem. Because of this past cross-over, some OCD organisations still offer information on hoarding disorder. OCD Action also runs an online OCD and hoarding support group.
Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition where you collect lots of things and find it very difficult to get rid of them, even if it's affecting your life.
Hoarding often begins in adolescence. Hoarding becomes significant problem for most people in their 30s. However, the average age of people seeking treatment is about 50, ranging mainly from early 40s to elderly adults.
Not necessarily. Whether someone is aware of their hoarding varies on a case-by-case basis. Some individuals are painfully aware and deeply ashamed, while others experience "clutter blindness" and genuinely do not see their living situation as a problem.
negative comments about the state of their home or their character (e.g., “What a mess!” “What kind of person lives like this?”). Imagine your own response if someone came into your home and spoke in this manner, especially if you already felt ashamed. Use words that devalue or negatively judge possessions.
1: Homer Lusk Collyer and Langley Collyer
The extremely reclusive Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, are perhaps two of the most famous hoarders of all time, but it took their deaths in 1947 to really shoot them into the spotlight.
Hoarding is triggered by a combination of neurobiological factors, deep-seated emotional trauma, and information-processing deficits. It often worsens during periods of high stress, with major life changes or losses acting as the primary catalysts for the behavior.
In the Bible, God strongly warns against hoarding, teaching that an obsession with accumulating possessions is spiritually destructive. Scriptures emphasize that hoarding reflects a lack of trust in God's provision and distracts from generosity, encouraging believers instead to share with others and focus on eternal riches.
South Carolina has the highest percentage of self-identified hoarders in the U.S., with 50% of residents reporting hoarding tendencies. It is followed by Ohio (42%) and Alabama (41.7%).
Warning signs of hoarding include persistent difficulty discarding items regardless of actual value, extreme clutter that renders living spaces unusable, and distress over parting with possessions. Other indicators are excessive acquisition of free or purchased items, social isolation, and safety hazards like blocked exits or extreme disorganization.
Compulsive decluttering is a type of disorder that is classified within a broad name, obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. Compulsive decluttering is the act of throwing items, or clutter, away, or getting rid of them in an attempt to "clean up" what one with the disorder may think is cluttered.
Focus on building trust and addressing immediate health and safety hazards over forced cleanouts. Never throw away items without consent, as this destroys trust and increases resistance. Shift conversations from "getting rid of things" to discussing their personal goals and safety.
Discussing the hoarding problem in an open and accepting way is an important first step. Respecting the hoarding loved one's attachments to possessions is critical to being able to hold such discussions. This can help to establish respect for the rights of each member of the household as well.
Clutter image rating 7-9
This level of hoarding constitutes a Safeguarding alert due to the significant risk to health of the householders, surrounding properties and residents. Residents are often unaware of the implication of their hoarding actions and oblivious to the risk it poses.
The most effective treatment for hoarding disorder is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), typically spanning 26 to 40 sessions. Treatment focuses on challenging emotional attachments to possessions, building decision-making and organizational skills, and reducing the urge to acquire new items.
While Hoarding Disorder has genetic and neurological factors, childhood trauma is a major trigger. Specifically, emotional neglect, physical neglect, and emotional abuse—as well as early experiences of severe poverty or having things abruptly thrown away—are highly linked to the development of hoarding in adulthood.
Jesus taught that marrying a divorced woman is considered adultery (found in Matthew 5:32 and Luke 16:18) because he viewed marriage as an unbreakable, lifelong covenant. In his view, a civil divorce does not dissolve the spiritual bond, meaning any subsequent marriage is treated as an adulterous union.
The Bible does not contain any specific mention of the year 2026. Calendar years are modern inventions, as the scriptures use different dating systems. However, based on biblical numerology and contemporary prophecy, 2026 is often viewed through the following symbolic lenses:
Hoarding symptoms typically begin in early adolescence, often between the ages of 11 and 15, but it takes years for the clutter to escalate to a severe level. The condition is highly chronic, with significant impairment usually manifesting by an individual's mid-30s to 50s.
Hoardings are the panels that surround a construction site; they're usually made of wood or metal, and they provide safety, security, and protection for the public and construction employees.
Being the family member of a person with hoarding disorder (HD) can be very stressful. For those family members who live with the person with HD, such as a partner, child, sibling or dependent parent, living among the extreme clutter can cause a lot of physical and emotional difficulties.
Hoarding Disorder is a distinct mental illness officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. While previously considered a subtype of OCD, it is now diagnosed on its own when persistent difficulty discarding items causes severe clutter that renders living spaces unusable.
Participants who identified as African American were rated by the assessor as having higher levels of clutter on the CIR (t (29) = 2.16, p <. 05); however, there were no race-based differences on participant ratings of their own household clutter or on the other self-reported hoarding measures (all ps >. 05).