"It seems likely that serious hoarding problems are present in at least 1 in 50 people, but they may be present in as many as 1 in 20 (OCD 2010). Hoarding affects many types of people but is more prevalent in older adults. Many times hoarding is associated with a traumatic event in someone's life resulting in the need to keep items in order to feel safe. .
Hoarders often call themselves "thrifty". They may also think that their behavior is due to having lived through a period of poverty or hardship during their lives. Research to date has not supported this idea. However, experiencing a traumatic event or serious loss, such as death of a spouse or parent, may lead to a worsening of hoarding behavior. "In hoarding, people seldom seek to display their possessions, which are usually kept in disarray. In collecting, people usually proudly display their collections and keep them well organized " (OCD 2010). Most often, people hoard common possessions, such as paper, books, clothing, and containers. Some people hoard garbage or rotten food. More rarely, people hoard animals or human waste products. Often times collected are valuable but far in excess of what can be reasonably used.
The definition of OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Compulsive hoarding was commonly considered to be a type of OCD. "Some estimate that as many as one in four people with OCD also have compulsive hoarding (OCD 2010). People with OCD may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals. They may be obsessed with germs or dirt, and wash their hands over and over. They may be filled with doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly. "In most individuals, compulsive hoarding .
appears to be a syndrome separate from OCD, which is associated with substantial levels of disability and social isolation "(Alonso 2008).