CBT for Hoarding/Treatment for Compulsive Hoarding

Compulsive Hoarding (or Pathological Hoarding or Disposophobia) is the excessive acquisition of possessions (and failure to use or discard them), even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. Compulsive Hoarding impairs mobility and interferes with basic activities, including cooking, cleaning, hygiene, sanitation, and sleeping

Characteristics

A. Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of the value others may attribute to these possessions* 

B. This difficulty is due to strong urges to save items and/or distress associated with discarding

C. The symptoms result in the accumulation of a large number of possessions that fill up and clutter active living areas of the home or workplace to the extent that their intended use is no longer possible. If all living areas are uncluttered, it is only because of the interventions of third parties (e.g., family members, cleaners, authorities)

D. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment for self and others)

E. The Hoarding Symptoms are not due to a general medical condition (e.g., brain injury, cerebrovascular disease). F. The Hoarding Symptoms are not restricted to the symptoms of another mental disorder (e.g., hoarding due to obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), decreased energy in Major Depressive Disorder, delusions in Schizophrenia or another Psychotic Disorder, cognitive deficits in Dementia, restricted interests in Autism Spectrum Disorder, food storing in Prader-Willi Syndrome)

*Specify if: With Excessive Acquisition: If symptoms are accompanied by excessive collecting or buying or stealing of items that are not needed or for which there is no available space

*Specify whether Hoarding beliefs and behaviors are currently characterized by: Good or fair insight: Recognizes thatHoarding-Related Beliefs and Behaviors(pertaining to difficulty discarding items, clutter, or excessive acquisition) are problematic. Poor insight: Mostly convinced that Hoarding-Related Beliefs and Behaviors (pertaining to difficulty discarding items, clutter, or excessive acquisition) are not problematic despite evidence to the contrary. Absent insight: Completely convinced that Hoarding-Related Beliefs and Behaviors (pertaining to difficulty discarding items, clutter, or excessive acquisition) are not problematic despite evidence to the contrary

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