Obsessive Hoarding Mainstream: Could You Be a Hoarder Without Knowing It?
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(CBS) We all save things we don't need, but hoarders take that tendency to an extreme - and sometimes dangerous - level.
The "bible" of psychiatric problems - the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - lists hoarding as a symptom of bbsessive compulsive disorder. But it's not always easy to tell hoarders from collectors - and from people who are simply very messy.
Could you be a hoarder and not even know it?Asking yourself three questions can help you make that determination, according to WebMD.
1. Do you like the feeling of acquiring things, and do you have difficulty discarding objects no longer of use, objects that others may throw away easily?
2. Are your living or working spaces so cluttered that it's difficult to find things or to use the spaces for their intended purposes?
3. Is your "collecting" of objects interfering with everyday functioning or your relationships, causing your loved ones distress?
If you answer yes to all three questions, you just might be a hoarder, experts say. And you might feel that you're alone, but you're not. About 2 million Americans share your problem.
Happily, experts say this disorder can be successfully treated.