4 Warning Signs of a Hoarder

By H.G. McKinnis

In my early twenties, I lived with a hoarder I’ll call Mae. When I moved in, I saw she had loads of stuff, and I knew instantly she was a poor housekeeper. It wasn’t until I moved out, however, that I realized Mae wasn’t just a person who had a neatness deficit and a high tolerance for roaches. She was a classic example of a genuine hoarder.

We all like our stuff. We chose it, love it, and become attached. Any empty nester can tell you how difficult it is to move from a big house to a smaller one. It’s a challenge to throw out mementos and get rid of things that represent milestones, success, or investment. Not every person attached to their possessions is a hoarder, not even prodigious collectors. Hoarding, like other addictions and mental disorders, can’t always be recognized by outward appearances. Huge piles of clutter may be a symptom, but they aren’t enough for a diagnosis without supporting evidence. Here are a few ways to recognize a hoarding problem and begin to find help.

1. Inability to part with worthless, useless items
   A serious problem often starts out small. As I look back on my experiences with Mae, the warning signs were all present. Her tables and chairs were stacked with worn-out books, paper bags, and old mail. She bought food in bulk “to save money”. The food often spoiled in the refrigerator, but Mae refused to throw it out. Instead, she created a “compost pile”. While she claimed she was improving the soil in her backyard, she was really only creating a burgeoning problem with bugs. When I noticed she had three copies of the same book, I suggested she get rid of the copy with loose, brittle, and missing pages. She said she was afraid the tattered version might be hurt or destroyed if she didn’t protect it. I now know that rationalizations for holding on to useless items—and even garbage—are classic signs of a disorder.
2. Insatiable desire for more stuff
   Mae made monthly donations to a neighborhood thrift store, usually consisting of clothing her children had outgrown and items she had recently acquired and with which she had not formed a bond. Whenever she made a donation, Mae also shopped at the thrift store for stuff she felt was “too good to stay in the store”. She usually came home with slightly less than she had left with and elated that she had “pared down”. Then she would order things from catalogs as a reward for good behavior. The result? More stuff. I now know that hoarders often have some awareness of their problematic relationship with possessions, but they can rarely make substantive changes without intervention.
3. No problem getting rid of other people’s stuff
   Mae couldn’t part with her own junk, but she had no trouble at all giving away my belongings. “Oh, my friend needed it,” she said when my clock radio went missing. At the time, I couldn’t understand this behavior. Now I know that it’s quite typical of most hoarders. Studies on the brains of hoarders have shown that ownership is a key factor when they make decisions. The disorder stems from their unhealthy relationship with their own possessions, but not those of others. Mae was unable to get rid of her old books and trash, but had no trouble parting with her children’s belongings—and my stuff.
4. Issues that threaten health and safety
   Hoarding problems tend to get worse over time. While stacks of newspapers or boxes of possessions may at first seem innocuous, tall stacks are a hazard. Hoarders have died in fires caused by their accumulations and suffocated under toppled piles. In Mae’s case, her papers and books housed a cockroach infestation. She could see that the bug problem was out of hand, but threw a fit if I mentioned getting rid of any of the clutter. She had a story about the value and use she might get out of each and every item. It is always difficult to intervene, but if health and safety are at risk, remember that hoarders are incapable of making necessary changes on their own.

Because hoarding is a behavior but not a disorder in itself, it is wise to look into possible issues that contributed to it and seek appropriate therapy. Depression leads the list of underlying causes of hoarding, but trauma, family background, dementia, and many other factors may also be responsible. For help with hoarding itself, consider programs like Clutterers Anonymous or Buried in Treasures, twelve-step programs that are run and maintained by its members and use the mentor approach. If the hoarder herself realizes that change is necessary, and she makes the effort to work with the program, she can develop a tolerance for bypassing unnecessary purchases. As a friend or family member, remember that understanding and compassion can go a long way to helping a hoarder improve.

H.G. McKinnis is the author of the forthcoming novel A Justified Bitch: A Las Vegas Mystery [Imbrifex Books, August 8, 2017], a twisted tale ofmurder, hoarding and redemption. Learn more about H.G. McKinnis at AJustifiedBitch.com, on Twitter, Facebook and at Imbrifex Books.