hoarding disorder

noun

: a psychological disorder characterized by the persistent accumulation of a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others and by the inability to discard such items without great distress

Note: The accumulation and clutter of items that occur in hoarding disorder lead to significant obstruction and congestion of living areas.

Many people with hoarding disorder benefit significantly from cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps reduce clutter and prevent future hoarding.

—Robert Ashley

The problem with detecting hoarding disorder is the extremely long time-frame in which it manifests. A person may have traits of the disorder early in life, but functional impairment may take a long time to show up.

—Anne Halliwell

Besides dementia, hoarding disorder is the only mental health disorder that increases in severity and prevalence with age …

—Emily Gurnon

Examples of hoarding disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hoarding and 'shock value' Treatments for hoarding disorder, naturally, will vary depending on severity. —David Oliver, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024

Various experts have diagnosed him with several other disorders including depression, anxiety, PTSD and complex PTSD, and hoarding disorder. —Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hoarding disorder

noun

: a psychological disorder characterized by the persistent accumulation of a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others and by the inability to discard such items without great distress regardless of their value

Note: The accumulation and clutter of items that occur in hoarding disorder lead to significant obstruction and congestion of living areas.

The problem with detecting hoarding disorder is the extremely long time-frame in which it manifests. A person may have traits of the disorder early in life, but functional impairment may take a long time to show up.

—Anne Halliwel

Many people with hoarding disorder benefit significantly from cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps reduce clutter and prevent future hoarding.

—Robert Ashley

Besides dementia, hoarding disorder is the only mental health disorder that increases in severity and prevalence with age …

—Emily Gurnon