Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or “Hoarding OCD,” involves persistent intrusive thoughts, fears, or uncomfortable feelings that contribute to difficulty discarding, or parting with possessions.

This may present as:

• Performing ritualized behaviors in order to dispose of items, such as:
  • Cutting or dismantling items in an attempt to reduce distress or neutralize feared emotions
  • Discarding items on perceived “good” dates and times to “prevent” a feared consequence
  • Tapping, blinking, repeating phrases, or repeatedly picking-up and putting down objects to “remove” intrusive thoughts from the item prior to disposal
• Purchasing a specific number of the same item to prevent a feared outcome or to ensure a desired outcome
• Avoiding purchasing items from negatively associated locations due to fear of “emotional transfer,” followed by difficulty discarding those items
• Fear of discarding inanimate objects due to fear of causing harm or distress to the object 
• Intrusive thoughts surrounding permanence of certain materials (e.g., dense plastics, fabrics, metals), and material states (closed containers, bottles, clothing seams, zippers, buttons), accompanied by rituals to “prevent” feared outcomes associated with such materials or states

This presentation differs from hoarding disorder, in which difficulty discarding is more commonly associated with emotional attachment, perceived utility, or distress related to losing possessions rather than primarily obsessional fears and compulsive rituals.