. ‘Hoarders fear making the wrong decision
about what to keep and what to throw out, so they keep everything,’
says Dr Whomsley, who was one of the authors of the British
Psychological Society guidelines on hoarding compiled in 2013.
‘It
is a psychological condition and not a lifestyle choice,’ he adds. ‘It
can be associated with other mental health conditions such as depression
and social anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or OCD.’
Hoarders may also have perfectionist tendencies, be prone to procrastination and have problems planning and organising.
