Change of Address: 10 Signs That You May Be a Hoarder

10 Signs That You May Be a Hoarder

When you consider all of the trophies, old t-shirts, pictures and other collectibles that you’ve kept over the years, we all have a little pack rat in us. But, there is a distinct difference in keeping something that has sentimental value or serves a current purpose, rather than keeping tons of junk mail, scraps of yarn and toilet paper rolls that you’ll never use. Hoarding is a serious mental health disorder, in which people excessively collect items and are unable to throw them away. This compulsive act of saving everything, including animals, creates incredibly cramped, unsanitary and unlivable conditions for anyone under your roof. If you think you may be one of the millions of hoarders living in the U.S., check out these top 10 signs to see if you stack up with the rest:

You are unwilling to throw anything away
If throwing away receipts, old newspapers, junk mail or last month’s dinner is a difficult task, you may be experiencing signs of hoarding. Hoarders find sentimental value in things that most people consider junk and would have no problem throwing out. The items can vary in age, quality, quantity and purpose, but one thing’s for sure; they aren’t going to throw it away. Some hoarders will buy brand new things and never use them, as well as hold on to seemingly useless items that are older than them. Even when hoarders try to clean up their mess, they struggle to actually throw anything away and get upset at the thought of losing their collection of stuff.

You hold on to items that are used, need repairs and have no real sentimental value
From broken telephones, used stamps to burned-out light bulbs, hoarders will keep just about anything and everything they think they’ll use one day. If you find yourself collecting these useless items because you think you’ll need them or repair them one day, you too could be a hoarder. Many of your collectibles have no tangible value, but you will defend having something like an 8-year-old receipt because it marked a day in your life, even if you can’t remember what you purchased and why.

Your house is so cluttered that you cannot use the living areas for which they were designed
If eating at your kitchen table or sitting on your couch is an unimaginable idea because of the amount of clutter taking over these living areas, you may be a hoarder. Hoarders will use countertops, sinks, stoves, garages, stairways and other indoor or outdoor spaces to store their clutter, making it impossible to use appliances and sit down in what should be a gathering area.

You struggle to accomplish basic activities
If you find yourself struggling to do basic, everyday tasks, such as showering, cleaning, cooking and exercising because the clutter and state of your home prevents you from doing so, you may be a hoarder. Hoarders become prisoners of their own homes, unable to do normal activities because they cannot move and function among the clutter. Therefore, basic hygiene and cleaning fall to the wayside.

You are unable to return borrowed items and steal
A common trait among hoarders is borrowing items and never returning them because you can’t find them or are reluctant to let go of it, even though it’s not yours. Hoarders may also resort to stealing so they can add more things to their collection. If you’re unable to give borrowed items back or are stealing things that will add to your clutter, you may be a hoarder.

You avoid having maintenance, pest control and repair workers come to your home
If you have a leaky faucet, a rodent problem or need the cable guy to install something, but won’t do anything about it because you are afraid to let them inside your house, you may be a hoarder. Hoarders avoid having workers over out of embarrassment or fear that their stuff will fall on someone. Also, hoarders may be afraid of workers calling the health department, The Humane Society or child and adult protective services to report their unsanitary home. Instead, they will avoid having services done and let problems worsen.

You don’t have visitors over to your house
If inviting people over is something you’d never do because of the state of your home, you may be a hoarder. Hoarders tend to live an isolated life because they are prisoners of their home, and they like to keep it that way. Hoarders don’t have visitors over because of the embarrassment they feel when people see their clutter. In addition to the embarrassment, hoarders are putting themselves, family members, roommates, pets and visitors at risk for disease, illness and other health problems.

Your cluttered home leaves you immobile
When magazines have reached the ceiling and the trash has grown mountain-high, it leaves very little room for actually moving around your house. There are often narrow walkways through the stacks of clutter, but most of the rooms are filled to their capacity and completely unlivable. This kind of immobility is hazardous to your health and could lead to obesity if you are unable to move around your house.

You feel distress, anger and anxiety about letting go of your possessions
Compulsive hoarding is considered an anxiety disorder that often correlates with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADD). Those who hoard may have trouble with making decisions, procrastinating, perfectionism and staying focused long enough to organize their house, while continuing to add things to the collection just in case you need it one day. If you feel distress, anger or anxiety about letting go of your possessions and feel the safest when you are surrounded by your belongings, you may be a hoarder.

You collect dozens of animals
If you find yourself collecting more than the average number of pets and are unable to provide the minimum amount of care for your pets, you may be a hoarder. Hoarding animals is a serious type of animal cruelty because owners are imprisoning hundreds of animals at a time, and neglecting them of proper nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care. This mistreatment can lead to starvation, illness and death, as well as infestation of insects, rodents and very unsanitary conditions.