Hoarding

Hoarding is a behavior that may affect emotional, social, physical, and financial health. Joshua and the team at Open Door Wellness Center, Great Falls, Montana, provide comprehensive and compassionate care for people with hoarding behaviors. They also diagnose hoarding disorder, which is a mental health condition in which a person has difficulty parting with items because they believe they need to save them. Call the office or put a request in online today to learn more about behavioral therapy for hoarding. 

What is the difference between hoarding and hoarding disorder?

Hoarding is a behavior in which you excessively accumulate and save items to the point that it affects your living space. People may feel the need to hold onto items for sentimental reasons or feel they need these items in the future. 

Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition. People with this disorder collect and accumulate items and have an extremely difficult time discarding these items even when they no longer offer any value. 

Both hoarding and hoarding disorder affect a person’s living environment. Collecting may take over all available spaces like counters, sinks, ovens, and hallways, making it hard to navigate their home or use household items. 

Hoarding symptoms usually appear during teen or early adult years and worsen slowly over time. Often these symptoms are in response to personal or familial trauma. 

When should I seek help for hoarding?

You should seek help for hoarding at Open Door Wellness Center if you or someone you love is showing signs and symptoms of hoarding disorder. Early diagnosis and intervention improve outcomes and may prevent this disorder from worsening.

Symptoms of hoarding disorder vary in type and severity but may include:

• Getting and keeping items that have no use
• Accumulating items despite a lack of space
• Difficulty parting with items
• Getting upset over the thought of discarding items
• Normal function disruptions because of hoarding

It’s not unusual for people with hoarding disorder to not recognize that they have a problem. 

The team at Open Door Wellness Center works with individuals and caregivers to diagnose hoarding disorder and assess the severity of the condition. Researchers are still investigating what causes hoarding disorder, but the mental health condition tends to run in families. 

What are the treatments for hoarding?

Your mental health expert at Open Door Wellness Center customizes a treatment plan for hoarding. The goal of treatment is to reduce the need to acquire and save items and help decrease clutter in your living space to improve your quality of life. 

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT therapy) is an effective treatment for hoarding disorder, helping people recognize and change their unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors. The team may also try to alleviate symptoms. 

Outside support from friends and family also helps people with hoarding behaviors.

Call Open Door Wellness Center or book an appointment online today to learn more about hoarding and treatment options.