OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Clutter

OCD or Obsessive Compusive disorder can manifest with compulsive hoarding of items that seem to have no value to anyone but the compulsive hoarder.

In actuality if the obsessive compulsive disorder manifests as compulsive hoarding it is a serious psychiatric illness that needs treatment before getting rid of clutter can even be started.

As a psychiatric condition, obsessive compulsive disorder presents a significant barrier to organized living because it is characterized by disorganized thought processes.

A person living with this mental illness engages in repetitive behaviours in order to reduce anxiety. The difficulty is that the repetitive behaviour escalates until person's daily life is so overwhlemed by the compulsion that a normal life becomes impossible.

Getting rid of clutter is not possible for the hoarder living with OCD because the hoarder is unable to stop it without feelings of anxiety and doom that are apocalyptic in nature. Individuals with this compulsion may continue this behavior until there is no space left for living in their own home. Some people may jokingly refer to them as "packrats," but it is important to realize that if their obsession hinders their day-to-day life then it poses a serious problem.

Compulsive hoarding can pose many risks. There is an increased risk of disease, injury, infestation, structural damage, and fire with this psychiatric condition. The clutter also increases the tension with family and friends and increases the social isolation of the hoarder. No one wants to visit or live with someone with such an embarrassing and potentially dangerous problem. This causes resentment and hurt feelings among family friends.

First and foremost a diagnosis by a medical professional can determine if this psychiatric disorder is present. Simply getting rid of clutter will not work without treatment first, as the individual will simply start hoarding again in efforts to control their escalating anxieties.

The time to clear the clutter cannot come until a treatment plan is in place and treatment will likely include antipsychotic medication. Once treatment is recognized to be restoring more order to the disorganized thought processes then a declutter process can begin.

It is important to involve the former hoarder in the process of deciding what needs to be thrown out, sold or kept. To simply sweep in and get rid of clutter while they are away can be very traumatic.

A person diagnosed with an obssessive compulsive hoarding disorder needs to be involved in making the decisions that are necessary to restore order in their own environment. Once a person's mind has become more organized with treatment, then life can become that way as well.

Cluttering is different than compulsive hoardering. Cluttering problems are more emotionally based and do not reflect the same disordered brain chemistry as with the person living with OCD.

Clutterers have been found to have a higher incidence of depression than the normal population. Sometimes an anti-depressant can be of help in the treatment process for clutters but first they must acknowledge the underlying emotional problems to bring about lasting results from the declutter process.