Hoarding Research Paper
COM 102-037/Mrs. Grisolano
Research Paper
April 29, 2013 Hoarding: Buried Alive
Until a few years ago, a lady who was known to collect cats would have been called “the crazy cat lady.” Houses that were filled with endless amounts of stuff were referred to as “cluttered, filthy, or a pen sty.” As of today, those expressions have been replaced with the coined terms: “hoarder or compulsive hoarding.” What is hoarding? “Compulsive hoarding is a specific type of behavior marked by acquiring and failing to throw out a large number of items that would appear to have little or no value to others, severe cluttering of the person's home so that it is no longer able to function as a viable living space, and significant distress or impairment of work or social life (Kelly Owen).” In addition to obtaining excessive amounts of items, many people with compulsive hoarding often have difficulties keeping these inanimate objects organized. Hoarders tend to pile up stuff which in turn leads to disorganization; which therefore adds another aspect into why hoarders are unwilling to throw stuff away. Furthermore, this paper seeks to address the importance surrounding the disorder, hoarding. Compulsive hoarding causes health problems, and can terminate a person’s overall lifestyle. In particular, I will be shedding light on what it’s like in the life of a hoarder, how the mental illness affects individuals, and what causes a person to hoard.
In the life of a hoarder, many people are embarrassed and secretive towards their condition. “Experts estimate that as much as 2% of the population meets the criteria, a group that spans all education and income levels (Melinda Beck).” Therefore, this fact illustrates that anyone can be a hoarder; lawyers, doctors, business executives, etc. The lifestyle of a hoarder’s home has a higher risk of getting a formation of mold in the home than a normal person living without the
Research Paper
April 29, 2013 Hoarding: Buried Alive
Until a few years ago, a lady who was known to collect cats would have been called “the crazy cat lady.” Houses that were filled with endless amounts of stuff were referred to as “cluttered, filthy, or a pen sty.” As of today, those expressions have been replaced with the coined terms: “hoarder or compulsive hoarding.” What is hoarding? “Compulsive hoarding is a specific type of behavior marked by acquiring and failing to throw out a large number of items that would appear to have little or no value to others, severe cluttering of the person's home so that it is no longer able to function as a viable living space, and significant distress or impairment of work or social life (Kelly Owen).” In addition to obtaining excessive amounts of items, many people with compulsive hoarding often have difficulties keeping these inanimate objects organized. Hoarders tend to pile up stuff which in turn leads to disorganization; which therefore adds another aspect into why hoarders are unwilling to throw stuff away. Furthermore, this paper seeks to address the importance surrounding the disorder, hoarding. Compulsive hoarding causes health problems, and can terminate a person’s overall lifestyle. In particular, I will be shedding light on what it’s like in the life of a hoarder, how the mental illness affects individuals, and what causes a person to hoard.
In the life of a hoarder, many people are embarrassed and secretive towards their condition. “Experts estimate that as much as 2% of the population meets the criteria, a group that spans all education and income levels (Melinda Beck).” Therefore, this fact illustrates that anyone can be a hoarder; lawyers, doctors, business executives, etc. The lifestyle of a hoarder’s home has a higher risk of getting a formation of mold in the home than a normal person living without the
Cited: 20 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2012. Print. Owen, Kelly, Ph.D Web. 17 Apr. 2013.