COMPULSIVE HOARDING TREATMENT IN SCOTTSDALE

Compulsive Hoarding Syndrome was always considered a form of OCD obsessive compulsive disorders. In 2013 the DSM-V reclassified Hoarding Disorder or Hoarding Syndrome in its own category apart from OCD. Persons suffering with this syndrome have obsessional thoughts that result in the compulsive behaviors which give temporary emotional relief from the obsessions. Compulsive hoarding syndrome results in a snowball effect where the person is having more and more obsessional thoughts leading to more compulsive behaviors.

Obsessions Bring Temporary Relief

One common obsessional thought is the concern over being contaminated to the point that the person can only relieve the thought by repetitively washing their hands. This of course perpetuates the compulsive thought that others might think the person is crazy. Compulsive hoarding syndrome can be very impairing since it can take up so many hours of one’s day living-out the compulsive behaviors. The person and their family members, friends all suffer.

Hoarding Disorder vs Typical OCD

One of the reasons hoarding is different from OCD is that many hoarders don’t always meet the criteria for OCD. For now, we will still continue to treat this disorder as being subsumed under OCD. One of the benefits of reclassifying compulsive hoarding syndrome is that it might lead to a positive mind shift in research. Individuals are stuck in this bondage and therefore, don’t have much of a social life. They are isolated because they forego inviting people over for the embarrassment that this would cause. Hoarding disorder can be one of the most challenging disorders to treat. Nevertheless, we now have many effective treatments for this if the person is able to acknowledge that there is a problem and go for help.

Treating Hoarding Disorder With Adjunct Therapies

SSRIs and NDRIs can be quite helpful to the patients and seems to ease their desire or need to hoard. The other form of treatment that can be extremely beneficial is psychotherapy, specifically called cognitive behavioral therapy. (CBT) A more specific sub-type of this is exposure response prevention (ERP) therapy.

Behavioral Therapy is Almost Always Necessary

This may be very effective with the individual becoming more and more comfortable with the exposure. The therapist might bring some of the “junk” into the session and have the patient throw away the items in front of the therapist. This gives the patient not only a sense of accomplishment; but, also the sense that they can really do this. Then the therapist will give the person homework to do at home starting with five things a day to throw away; and sort ten things progressing with each session. Eventually throwing twenty things away while sorting through twenty-five items.

Family Becomes Hostages

In more severe cases of compulsive hoarding syndrome, a person’s home becomes so bad that it could be condemned due to the living conditions. Family members send me pictures of the patient’s home with only a small path to walk through with mountains of things three to six feet high on either side. This can be very disabling. The patients often be minimized this as sloppy or untidy habits. This is very invasive; therefore, we try to use medication and psychotherapy. Many times the biggest hurdle is finding patients that are cognizant of the problem and readily motivated to change. With a patient who is willing, there is a prognosis for relief from compulsive hoarding syndrome. There are many ways to deal with minor cases of OCD and to an extent we all seem to have an occasional quirk or tic. When these wry behaviors start to interfere with your daily functions, then it is time to seek help for compulsive hoarding syndrome or whatever manifestation of OCD.

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