It has nothing to do with Diogenes syndrome even though they are related. For just a couple of years, the compulsive hoarding syndrome or disposophobia has its own medical category and refers to when the accumulation of objects – in exorbitant quantities or outside of what is socially accepted – becomes a mental disorder , a disease related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Hoarding disorder or compulsive hoarding syndrome arises from the irrepressible need to acquire objects – usually of little economic value -, save or store them and be unable to get rid of any of them. The sector of the population most affected by this disorder is young people, especially women . This repetitive accumulation behavior, however, does not cause them any kind of emotional discomfort, just in the event that they had to let go of them (contrary to what happens in other obsessive-compulsive disorders).
This psychological disorder constitutes a problem when the sufferer feels interference in their day-to-day life , such as the fact of not being able to carry out daily tasks (cooking, cleaning …) normally due to lack of mobility due to the accumulation of things, or living with family, friends or neighbors becomes problematic. It is time to go to a specialist.
Due to its recent integration as a disease independent of other types of accumulative behaviors (such as Diogenes Syndrome or OCD itself), it is a pathology that is still under study . According to current estimates, between 2-5% of adults suffer from this syndrome, which could range from the accumulation of food, cutlery, toys, clothing and accessories, figures, books or even animals.
