Assessment and Treatment of Hoarding Behavior

Hoarding can be a challenging psychological and social problem.  It involves both excessive acquisition and difficulty discarding old used possessions.  Approximately 5% of the population shows some degree of hoarding behavior and 20% of the population encounters difficulty discarding possessions. Strong emotion is often experienced when attempting to discard possessions.  Using CBT, information processing deficits, dysfunctional beliefs about possessions, behavioral avoidance, and emotional attachment to possessions are addressed.