We're all guilty of bringing home useless items like flyers or old computer electronics from time to time, hoping that one day we'll use them. Don't kid yourself. It rarely happens. For some people though, hoarding seems to be a way of life, bordering obsessive compulsive disorder. In fact, psychologists class hoarding behavior as a distinct disorder which affects 2 to 5 percent of Americans.
Hoarders - real, clinical hoarders anyway - can run into trouble in life because of their behavior. Not necessarily because hoarding junk is a bad thing. It has more to do with the fact that hoarding behavior is rooted in emotional strain. People with hoarding disorder are typically socially withdrawn and isolated. In many cases, the hoarding leads to social isolation. But, on the other hand, some people may turn to the comfort of hoarding because they're lonely.
10 signs you're likely a hoarder
- The “stuff” in your house is more than clutter.
- You are unable to throw away possessions.
- Your possessions have taken over your living space.
- You can’t use your appliances or plumbing fixtures anymore.
- You feel embarrassed by your possessions.
- You’re suspicious of other people touching your possessions.
- You can’t pass up a bargain.
- You move stuff from pile to pile, but you don’t throw it away.
- Your house smells bad and is dirty, but you cannot clean it up.
- You are sure that there is a treasure buried under the piles of stuff in your house.
This infographic set up by Sparefoot will fill you in on what's it like to be a hoarder.
