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Hoarding

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

What causes hoarding? 

No one knows exactly what causes hoarding. There are lots of theories and different people will have different explanations for their own experiences. It’s likely to be a combination of things. 

“After a divorce and house move, as a single mum working full-time suffering from  depression on and off for years I didn’t have the energy to face throwing things away,  especially baby clothes and toys, and my small apartment became increasingly full.” 

Difficult feelings 

Hoarding can be to do with difficult experiences and painful feelings, which you may be finding it hard to express, face or resolve. 

Some people say hoarding helps them cope with other mental health problems, or distracts them from feeling very anxious, upset or afraid. 

Perfectionism and worrying 

Lots of people who hoard feel very worried about making mistakes (also known as perfectionism), or find it hard to make decisions, plan ahead or work out how to do tasks.  These could be possible reasons why some people are more vulnerable to having problems with hoarding. 

For example, you might struggle to sort or group your things into types, or to decide what to keep or throw away. The idea of this might seem so difficult or upsetting that it feels easier not to try. 

Childhood experiences 

Some researchers believe hoarding can be linked to childhood experiences of losing or not having possessions, or not being cared for. This might include experiences like: 

  • money worries and living in poverty  
  • having your belongings taken or thrown away  
  • being deprived or neglected – for example if your basic needs weren’t met, or you weren’t treated warmly or supportively.

See our pages on money and mental health for more information on the relationship between money worries and mental health. 

“It was like she built a wall of stuff to keep everyone out. Having experienced several traumatic events in her life: the loss of her baby (while her father was dying), a terrible divorce, her partner having a heart attack and finally the death of her mother. No-one could hurt her if she was protected by all of this stuff.” 

Trauma and loss 

You might be able to link the start of your hoarding to a stressful event or period in your life, such as: 

  • being abused or attacked 
  • breaking up with a partner 
  • becoming very unwell 
  • someone close to you dying 
  • feeling extremely lonely. 

For some people, experiences like these can also lead to an increase in existing hoarding. 

“I can pinpoint it to the death of her mother (my Nana) when she moved all of her belongings into her own home. This was almost 25 years ago.” 

Family history or habits 

It’s common for people who hoard to have family members who share this, such as a parent or sibling. Some studies suggest this could be due to shared genes, or that your genes could make you more vulnerable to hoarding. 

But family links are likely to be much more complex and shared environments could also be a factor. For example, you might have learned habits and behaviours from your parents or carers, including ways of arranging and managing your home and belongings. 

If you live together with people who also hoard, this can result in you having more clutter  in your home overall. It might be especially difficult to make changes because you disagree with each other on what to keep or throw away. 

“Where did the tendency towards hoarding come from? Now that’s the six million dollar question! My parents were full of stories of their parents and grandparents’ deprivations, it was part of my world view growing up, and I know that chronic disorganisation multiplies the impact of every extra item I have.” 

Other mental health problems 

You might start hoarding due to another mental health problem, for example: 

  • depression 
  • anxiety
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 
  • bipolar disorder 
  • psychosis, including schizophrenia 
  • obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). 

In these situations, hoarding is usually seen as a symptom and not your main diagnosis.  You might also hoard alongside addiction to recreational drugs or alcohol.

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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

What causes hoarding?

What causes hoarding? 

No one knows exactly what causes hoarding. There are lots of theories and different people will have different explanations for their own experiences. It's likely to be a combination of things. 

“After a divorce and house move, as a single mum working full-time suffering from  depression on and off for years I didn’t have the energy to face throwing things away,  especially baby clothes and toys, and my small apartment became increasingly full.” 

Difficult feelings 

Hoarding can be to do with difficult experiences and painful feelings, which you may be finding it hard to express, face or resolve. 

Some people say hoarding helps them cope with other mental health problems, or distracts them from feeling very anxious, upset or afraid. 

Perfectionism and worrying 

Lots of people who hoard feel very worried about making mistakes (also known as perfectionism), or find it hard to make decisions, plan ahead or work out how to do tasks.  These could be possible reasons why some people are more vulnerable to having problems with hoarding. 

For example, you might struggle to sort or group your things into types, or to decide what to keep or throw away. The idea of this might seem so difficult or upsetting that it feels easier not to try. 

Childhood experiences 

Some researchers believe hoarding can be linked to childhood experiences of losing or not having possessions, or not being cared for. This might include experiences like: 

  • money worries and living in poverty  
  • having your belongings taken or thrown away  
  • being deprived or neglected – for example if your basic needs weren't met, or you weren't treated warmly or supportively.

See our pages on money and mental health for more information on the relationship between money worries and mental health. 

“It was like she built a wall of stuff to keep everyone out. Having experienced several traumatic events in her life: the loss of her baby (while her father was dying), a terrible divorce, her partner having a heart attack and finally the death of her mother. No-one could hurt her if she was protected by all of this stuff.” 

Trauma and loss 

You might be able to link the start of your hoarding to a stressful event or period in your life, such as: 

  • being abused or attacked 
  • breaking up with a partner 
  • becoming very unwell 
  • someone close to you dying 
  • feeling extremely lonely. 

For some people, experiences like these can also lead to an increase in existing hoarding. 

“I can pinpoint it to the death of her mother (my Nana) when she moved all of her belongings into her own home. This was almost 25 years ago.” 

Family history or habits 

It's common for people who hoard to have family members who share this, such as a parent or sibling. Some studies suggest this could be due to shared genes, or that your genes could make you more vulnerable to hoarding. 

But family links are likely to be much more complex and shared environments could also be a factor. For example, you might have learned habits and behaviours from your parents or carers, including ways of arranging and managing your home and belongings. 

If you live together with people who also hoard, this can result in you having more clutter  in your home overall. It might be especially difficult to make changes because you disagree with each other on what to keep or throw away. 

“Where did the tendency towards hoarding come from? Now that's the six million dollar question! My parents were full of stories of their parents and grandparents' deprivations, it was part of my world view growing up, and I know that chronic disorganisation multiplies the impact of every extra item I have.” 

Other mental health problems 

You might start hoarding due to another mental health problem, for example: 

  • depression 
  • anxiety
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 
  • bipolar disorder 
  • psychosis, including schizophrenia 
  • obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). 

In these situations, hoarding is usually seen as a symptom and not your main diagnosis.  You might also hoard alongside addiction to recreational drugs or alcohol.