Hoarding Disorder

Julia Riddle, Paul Nestadt, M.D., Jack Samuels, Ph.D.

DEFINITION

  • Persistent difficulty discarding personal possessions, even those of apparently little value, leading to substantial clutter that inhibits the normal use of space for basic functions like cooking, cleaning, moving around the house, and sleeping; the symptoms cause clinically significant distress and/or impairment in functioning.[1]
  • See figure illustrating compulsive hoarding.

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Last updated: June 10, 2017