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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 is hoarding? 

Hoarding is acquiring or saving lots of things regardless of their value. If you hoard, you might: 

  • have very strong positive feelings whenever you get more items
  • feel very upset or anxious at the thought of throwing or giving things away
  • find it very hard to decide what to keep or get rid of. 

“I’m terrified of having visitors to my home, as I’m secretive of our hoarding situation and my worst OCD triggers are here too.” 

Many people have some belongings they consider special and it’s common to save some things because they could come in useful in the future. Hoarding is when your need to  keep things causes you distress or interferes with your day to day life. If you think you might be hoarding, our sections on self-care and treatments have some suggestions for  you to consider. 

People might disagree on what is hoarding and whether it’s causing problems for you.  Someone else (such as a friend, family member or healthcare professional) might say you are hoarding when you don’t think you are. 

Beliefs about needing to keep things  

If you hoard, you might have very strong beliefs about keeping or saving things. For example, you might believe that:  

  • you need to keep things for the future 
  • you won’t cope with how you feel if you throw things away 
  • throwing things away will harm other people or the environment 
  • you have to keep things because you mustn’t waste them 
  • you should arrange or dispose of things perfectly or not at all 
  • your belongings are making you happy or keeping you safe 
  • your belongings are all unique and special, even if they are very similar 
  • you simply need more storage space, or more time to sort things out. 

Lots of people share some of these beliefs to an extent, but don’t feel them as strongly or as part of hoarding.  

Is hoarding a mental health problem? 

It is increasingly being recognised that hoarding can be a condition by itself, as well as sometimes being a symptom of other mental health problems. People used to think  hoarding was a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but research suggests  they are not the same.

For these reasons hoarding disorder has been listed as a distinct mental health problem in the DSM-5 and ICD-11 (manuals that doctors use to categorise and diagnose mental health problems). 

You might hoard by itself or as part of another mental health problem. 

“My mum sleeps on a small patch of her sofa. I don’t know the last time she slept in a bed, but it has been several years.” 

Hoarding due to other types of conditions 

Hoarding can also be caused by some other conditions (for example dementia or brain injury) which are generally diagnosed and treated differently to mental health problems – in these situations, the information in these pages might not apply. 

  • Whatever way you experience hoarding, it’s a good idea to see a doctor who  can check you over and help you access the right kind of treatment and support. 
  • It might help to look at the Clutter Image Rating, which can help you consider and describe your situation.
  • If you want to help someone else with hoarding, how other people can help has some suggestions for you. 

How might hoarding affect my life? 

Hoarding could affect you in lots of different ways. For example, you might: 

  • struggle to find things you need, or keep on top of bills and letters 
  • buy the same items more than once because you can’t find them 
  • avoid letting people into your home or have difficulty answering the door – meaning you don’t have visitors or don’t get repairs done, which could lead  to housing problems 
  • find it hard to look after your physical health – for example if you can’t access your bathroom or washing machine 
  • find it hard to cook and eat healthy food – which might be because you can’t  access your kitchen or there’s no space inside your fridge  
  • be unable to use parts of your home for their intended purpose – for example being unable to sleep in your bed or walk along hallways because they’re very  cluttered 
  • be unable to safely leave your home quickly in an emergency 
  • distance yourself from other people, because you don’t want them to know about your situation or because they say or do things that don’t feel helpful for you 
  • feel ashamed or lonely, which could make you feel very isolated or affect your self-esteem. 

See our information on money and mental health, housing and mental health, food and mood, coping with loneliness and improving your self-esteem for more on these topics. 

“New year and other holidays fill me with fear as the few family who know my situation  keep pushing for an in-law to visit us regardless. I feel violated and trapped.” 

You might find that other people focus a lot on the effects hoarding can have on your  home or other physical spaces, and that they don’t really understand how you feel or  why acquiring and saving things feels important for you.

Experiences of facing stigma 

Many people have heard of hoarding, but this doesn’t mean that they understand it.  Misconceptions about hoarding can sometimes come from the media, including TV shows – which often fail to show how varied people’s experiences of hoarding can be or how they might feel. 

Hoarding doesn’t mean you just need help tidying up and it’s unhelpful if people try to do this for you. It can be frustrating and upsetting if people don’t understand this, but it’s  important to remember that you are not alone. 

“My bedroom became particularly bad with the floor covered in clothes… I could no longer  open the wardrobe or drawers… random stuff [was] spilling into plastic bags on the floor.  Eventually I needed a leak fixing and the landlady came round, and she gave me notice to  leave.”

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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 is hoarding?

What is hoarding? 

Hoarding is acquiring or saving lots of things regardless of their value. If you hoard, you might: 

  • have very strong positive feelings whenever you get more items
  • feel very upset or anxious at the thought of throwing or giving things away
  • find it very hard to decide what to keep or get rid of. 

“I'm terrified of having visitors to my home, as I'm secretive of our hoarding situation and my worst OCD triggers are here too.” 

Many people have some belongings they consider special and it's common to save some things because they could come in useful in the future. Hoarding is when your need to  keep things causes you distress or interferes with your day to day life. If you think you might be hoarding, our sections on self-care and treatments have some suggestions for  you to consider. 

People might disagree on what is hoarding and whether it's causing problems for you.  Someone else (such as a friend, family member or healthcare professional) might say you are hoarding when you don't think you are. 

Beliefs about needing to keep things  

If you hoard, you might have very strong beliefs about keeping or saving things. For example, you might believe that:  

  • you need to keep things for the future 
  • you won't cope with how you feel if you throw things away 
  • throwing things away will harm other people or the environment 
  • you have to keep things because you mustn't waste them 
  • you should arrange or dispose of things perfectly or not at all 
  • your belongings are making you happy or keeping you safe 
  • your belongings are all unique and special, even if they are very similar 
  • you simply need more storage space, or more time to sort things out. 

Lots of people share some of these beliefs to an extent, but don't feel them as strongly or as part of hoarding.  

Is hoarding a mental health problem? 

It is increasingly being recognised that hoarding can be a condition by itself, as well as sometimes being a symptom of other mental health problems. People used to think  hoarding was a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but research suggests  they are not the same.

For these reasons hoarding disorder has been listed as a distinct mental health problem in the DSM-5 and ICD-11 (manuals that doctors use to categorise and diagnose mental health problems). 

You might hoard by itself or as part of another mental health problem. 

“My mum sleeps on a small patch of her sofa. I don't know the last time she slept in a bed, but it has been several years.” 

Hoarding due to other types of conditions 

Hoarding can also be caused by some other conditions (for example dementia or brain injury) which are generally diagnosed and treated differently to mental health problems – in these situations, the information in these pages might not apply. 

  • Whatever way you experience hoarding, it's a good idea to see a doctor who  can check you over and help you access the right kind of treatment and support. 
  • It might help to look at the Clutter Image Rating, which can help you consider and describe your situation.
  • If you want to help someone else with hoarding, how other people can help has some suggestions for you. 

How might hoarding affect my life? 

Hoarding could affect you in lots of different ways. For example, you might: 

  • struggle to find things you need, or keep on top of bills and letters 
  • buy the same items more than once because you can't find them 
  • avoid letting people into your home or have difficulty answering the door – meaning you don't have visitors or don't get repairs done, which could lead  to housing problems 
  • find it hard to look after your physical health – for example if you can't access your bathroom or washing machine 
  • find it hard to cook and eat healthy food – which might be because you can't  access your kitchen or there's no space inside your fridge  
  • be unable to use parts of your home for their intended purpose – for example being unable to sleep in your bed or walk along hallways because they're very  cluttered 
  • be unable to safely leave your home quickly in an emergency 
  • distance yourself from other people, because you don't want them to know about your situation or because they say or do things that don't feel helpful for you 
  • feel ashamed or lonely, which could make you feel very isolated or affect your self-esteem. 

See our information on money and mental health, housing and mental health, food and mood, coping with loneliness and improving your self-esteem for more on these topics. 

“New year and other holidays fill me with fear as the few family who know my situation  keep pushing for an in-law to visit us regardless. I feel violated and trapped.” 

You might find that other people focus a lot on the effects hoarding can have on your  home or other physical spaces, and that they don't really understand how you feel or  why acquiring and saving things feels important for you.

Experiences of facing stigma 

Many people have heard of hoarding, but this doesn't mean that they understand it.  Misconceptions about hoarding can sometimes come from the media, including TV shows – which often fail to show how varied people's experiences of hoarding can be or how they might feel. 

Hoarding doesn't mean you just need help tidying up and it's unhelpful if people try to do this for you. It can be frustrating and upsetting if people don't understand this, but it's  important to remember that you are not alone. 

“My bedroom became particularly bad with the floor covered in clothes... I could no longer  open the wardrobe or drawers... random stuff [was] spilling into plastic bags on the floor.  Eventually I needed a leak fixing and the landlady came round, and she gave me notice to  leave.”