It's National Pack Rat Day: What is Hoarding?

Hoarding Buried Alive: Watch on Amazon

It's National Pack Rat day, and while some might find that collecting a little bit of clutter here and there is perfectly normal, everyone should be concerned about the dangers of hoarding. The term "pack rat" comes from the nickname for the bushy-tailed woodrat. The woodrat is known for building nests and gathering large quantities of items to bury away. They are fond of shiny, sparkly objects and spend their time building their nests. May is often associated with spring cleaning and many people take advantage of this time to clear out the old and make way for the new. Shredding papers, giving away items and placing things in storage are normal activities that occur during spring cleaning. For many, National Pack Rat day is a time to assess their living quarters and undertake the task of clearing things out. It's also a good time to think about hoarding and recognize the signs and symptoms of what is often a personal, private secret that can quickly escalate into a public health problem.

Hoarding may be described as the excessive collecting of animals, debris or pets. It involves collecting and keeping more items than one can neatly or safely store, and when animals are involved, there are more animals than the person can properly care for. Trash, newspapers, cats, dogs, mice, rats, chickens, and even brand-new, store bought items may all be hoarded. Hoarding is not just a bad habit or indicative of someone who is lazy and doesn't like to clean. With hoarding, the person develops a sentimental or emotional attachment or bond to the debris, item or animal and refuses to part with it. Not only is the hoarder's life, health and well-being jeopardized, but so too are the lives of others who live in the home. Pets who are kept in hoarding conditions often suffer detrimental consequences.

Whether hoarding trash or animals, the health of a hoarder is negatively impacted by their excessive collecting and often times, the hoarder seems oblivious to the ill-effects. It isn't uncommon for an extreme hoarder to have debris piled from floor to ceiling, making it impossible to keep the immediate environment clean, sanitary and free of germs It can become difficult for the hoarder and others to maintain a daily routine in the home and even finding a space to walk or sleep is a challenge. A hoarder might pile their kitchen with other items, making it virtually impossible to prepare food in a sanitary manner. Once the inside of the house or apartment becomes filled with items, the hoarder may move to outdoor storage spaces to keep their items.

As the hoarder's environment becomes filled with clutter, debris and even trash, the environment becomes unsafe for multiple reasons. Not only is the home a haven for germs, viruses and bacteria, but it poses many structural hazards. The environment is not only a fire hazard due to the possibility of combustible materials, but exits are blocked, making it difficult to near impossible to evacuate during a fire emergency. The materials are conducive to fire and a hoarder's environment could pose an extreme fire hazard not only to the immediate residents but those in neighboring areas.

Another danger is insect and rodent infestation. Cockroaches, fleas, bed bugs, mice, rats, even squirrels love to make a hoarder's environment their home as well. Rodents and insects harbor bacteria, germs and disease and bring a host of problems to the environment as well. These creatures and critters don't limit themselves to the hoarder's residence either. With the freedom to multiply undeterred, rodents and insects can easily spread to neighbor's dwellings.

As many hoarder's are ashamed about their living environment, they don't get needed maintenance repairs. It doesn't take long before a home, apartment or other dwelling falls to a state of disarray. Dwellings quickly become unsuitable for living and should be condemned.

Psychiatric professionals now recognize hoarding as its own disorder: Hoarding Disorder (HD). If you suspect a loved one or friend has Hoarding Disorder, you might be confused of how you can help. Understand that hoarding is a mental health disorder and is closely associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

While being the occasional pack rat might make your life a little less organized, hoarding is a serious disorder that has extreme, negative consequences.