Hoarding

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/keeping-your-body-healthy/hoarding/

some useful points on why people might hoard.

"In May 2013, hoarding was officially recognised as a medical diagnosis. This means that help isavailable on the NHS, although compulsive hoarding can be difficult to treat.

Psychologist Roxana Rudzik-Shaw, of RRS Counseling, says: 'People with belongings thatencroach upon every inch of their living space are often identified as compulsive hoarders. Thistends to get progressively worse over time as clutter becomes problematic, disorganised and unmanageable.'"

"Why do we start hoarding?

Roxana Rudzik-Shaw says: 'The onset of hoarding behaviour can sometimes be associated withtraumatic or significant life-changing events, such as death of a spouse or relative, deterioratinghealth or retirement.

'Accumulating "stuff" fills the void that has been left behind following such a trauma, allowing anindividual to avoid dealing with the emotions associated with it.'

Research indicates that a person is more likely to become a hoarder if:

• there is a family history of hoarding,
• they have experienced deprivation,
• they grew up in a cluttered home,
• they have another mental health condition,
• they are struggling to cope with a stressful life event,
• they have a history of alcohol dependence or they are lonely."

Hoarding (2000) Available at: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/keeping-your-body-healthy/hoarding/ (Accessed: 2 November 2015).