ARE YOU A HOARDER?

Although the term is often used casually, hoarding disorder is a recognised mental health condition. Woman's Own investigates...

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When we hear the word ‘hoarder’, we often think of TV programmes where piles of stuff fill every corner of someone's home. The people featured will accumulate and hold on to all manner of peculiar and seemingly pointless items.

However, these are extreme examples and often paint an unrealistic picture of what living with hoarding disorder is actually like. ‘TV programmes about hoarding aren’t always helpful because hoarding is not a lifestyle choice, a moral failing or even poor housekeeping,’ says Jo Cooke, director of Hoarding Disorders UK. ‘It is a mental-health disorder.’

Hoarding disorder is characterised by having so much ‘stuff’ that it affects the way somebody lives. Their homes may become unmanageable, yet they may still feel a strong need to accumulate more. ‘There are often financial implications, and there is typically shame associated with the behaviour,’ says Jo. ‘There may also be other mental-health conditions present, such as depression or anxiety.

The difference between collecting and hoarding is that collectors do not have the same strong emotional attachment to every item they own.

I have always loved vintage fashion. From the age of 16, I was scouting around charity shops, hunting for unique pieces, which I would pack into two big suitcases and sell at the Birmingham Rag Market.