About disposophobic-Health

Are you disposophobic?

Everyone who has watched the popular American sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S are familiar with the neatness and cleanliness freak character Monica Geller, played to perfection by Courtney Cox-Arquette. Imagine someone who is a total opposite of Monica. The vision that comes to your mind is someone who is miles away from being neat, and whose house is a total mess and full of clutter. Now picture this: a woman who lives in a house that is cluttered to the hilt with clothes, plastic articles, shoes, utensils, books, papers, household articles, metal scraps and even food that has gone bad. This woman can be cited as a classic example of a compulsive hoarder. Compulsive hoarding can affect anyone irrespective of age, gender or economic status.

DEFINITION

Clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Varkha Chulani says “An excessive acquisition of possessions — not necessarily useful — collected and hoarded over time, even if they have never been used and which cause impairment in mobility, finances and health may be termed as compulsive hoarding. A slang for the compulsive hoarder is a ‘pack rat’. It may also be called disposophobia i.e. the fear of getting rid of things.”

Rachna Kothari, psychologist, says “Compulsive Hoarding is a pathological condition (sometimes obsessive compulsive disorder) which is characterised by excessive and unnecessary acquisitions of things which are useless, unhealthy and hazardous.” She says that compulsive hoarders find it very difficult to discard them and keep adding on to their already existing clutter. They believe that their things cannot be discarded because they hold a great value and would be needed later, and so they keep accumulating the junk. People who suffer from compulsive hoarding often stack their drawers, fridges, sinks, stove, stairway, sofas, etc. leaving no room for anything else.

CAUSES

There is no logical reason for one's behaviour as a hoarder. The disordered environment is the result of disordered thinking, not laziness or untidiness. Chulani says that anxiety drives this behaviour, where one due to some experience of his/her past, for example abject poverty, may have suffered not having essentials like basic clothing, food, etc. In the light of this past, he/she believes that they can’t bear it if the same would ever reoccur. As a result they hoard. Everything becomes important, ‘which can come of use some day’ and with that outlook, clearing and getting rid of possessions never happens.

Deprivation may not be the only factor driving this behaviour. Other causes could be fear of not having, the need to possess things, and even obsession with possessions, since for many possessions define their worth. So hoarding can also take place where people view themselves in a better light only when they own and possess things.

Dr Chhabria says, “Individuals who are predisposed to anxiety or depression are likely to show compulsive hoarding traits. According to research people who have undergone trauma emotional/ physical/ sexual may also be likely to go through this condition. The other cause could be their irrational belief about possession. They could have a strong sense of emotional attachment toward their possessions and may feel strong security or feel a need to stay in control of their possessions.”

EFFECTS

As far as effects on one’s personality is concerned, compulsive hoarders usually suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and certain personality conditions like Anxiety disorders. They always want to be in control and are averse to uncertainty. They generally suffer from a low self esteem which in turn hampers their growth. They could also be lacking in self care and hence would affect their sanitary habits.
Dr Chhabria says, “People with compulsive hoarding disorder are likely to have distorted perceptions. They may not view the mess that they are creating is actual mess or at least they do not become distressed about it. Infact, a cluttered home appears to create some sort of security and getting rid of clutter creates feelings of anxiety, distress, and even fear. Trying to part with their accumulated stuff can evoke painful and dramatic emotional reactions. This may also create social stigma or anxiety as they would be generally ridiculed or teased.”

As for relationships, Kothari says, “Since compulsive hoarders hardly realise that they have a problem and are oblivious to it, the stress it creates, the people who suffer the most are their family members, colleagues and neighbours. They might steal and borrow things and not return them thereby disrupting relationships. There is complete disorder in their home and living. Spaces are not utilised for what they were initially meant to be because of their ongoing clutter. Most relationships will be problematic since they cannot change their attitude and behaviour. If an individual is collecting dangerous or unsanitary items, it can embarrass, humiliate and threaten others around.”

COPING

Compulsive hoarding is a potentially serious mental health issue. If you are able to recognise this as a concern, work on yourself as it is a good way to overcome your anxiety. But if you can’t, seeking professional help is advised. Families need to understand the emotional condition of the hoarder so that they can treat him/her accordingly. And intervention on time is a crucial aspect of treatment. Dr Chhabria says that therapies like Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) which is generally applied to people with OCD is a useful technique. REBT would involve working on the person’s irrational belief of associating their feelings with an unrealistic perception, questioning them and then learning to convert them into rational beliefs.

Source: Bombay Times