This is the story of JZ, an admitted hoarder who has worked with a psychologist for several years to try to overcome some personal issues and, now, to begin to deal with his hoarding behaviors.
Hoarding is the collecting of excessive items that seemingly have little to no value, such as newspapers, trash, books, papers and even animals, along with the inability to discard these items. Sometimes, hoarders have emotional attachments to things that can cause them great anxiety if they are asked to discard these things.
Hoarding is thought to be connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder, but there are still many unanswered questions about compulsive hoarding and each person who hoards is often different in their own ways about the disorder and how it affects them.
Hoarding can affect emotions, thoughts and behavior. There are different levels of hoarding, and for those of you who have watched some of the TV shows on hoarding, you have seen some extreme hoarding behaviors. Hoarding can be a safety issue, as hoarders run the risk of harm due to unhealthy living conditions, fire hazard and the like. In addition, people who hoard can find their compulsion to be a detriment to their socializing with others.
Hoarding symptoms can include the following:
Acquiring unneeded items. Inability to discard items. Keeping stacks of newspapers or mail. Saving trash or used food containers. Cluttered living spaces. Procrastination. Trouble with decision-making. Difficulty organizing items. Finding comfort in being surrounded by 'stuff.'
JZ says that he began hoarding behavior when he owned a large home in the Northeast United States. He says his stuff was stored in his attic then, so he did not have such a cluttered living area as he does today. JZ moved to Florida several years ago
