Take a look at your closet. If you delve into its depths, a t-shirt -or any other garment- that you have not worn for almost a decade or the jacket that accompanied you during your university days may appear.

You know perfectly well that the probability of you reintroducing them in your look is minimal. So why are you unable to get rid of them and let them pass away?

The attachment linked to the question “what if I need it someday?” is the most recurrent excuse: “Accumulation is the permanent difficulty of getting rid of or separating from possessions, regardless of their value. This behavior has negative effects both for the person who suffers from it and for the family”, indicates the American Association for Anxiety and Depression (ADAA).

Magazines, photographs, clothing, boxes and plastic bags are usually the objects that are most commonly accumulated, says the aforementioned organization.

recognize the problem

30% of the population practices some type of collecting and they do not suffer a problem for that, but there is a gradient between normality and pathology that finds its maximum expression in the Diogenes Syndrome.

“In Hoarding Disorder, the subject keeps objects that are useless although his lifestyle can be developed normally. Diogenes Syndrome is characterized by the accumulation of useless objects, just like in PD, but with a growing personal and social deterioration”, comments José Antonio Portellano Pérez, clinical psychologist and professor at the Complutense University of Madrid.

One of the keys to identifying the problem may be, as the expert emphasizes, that in neither of the two tables are the objects that accumulate voluntarily exposed, nor is there awareness of the problem.

Why can't I shoot

The trigger for hoarding is the belief that the object will be useful or valuable in the future. Sentimental value is another cause.

“You can think that it is something unique and irreplaceable or that it was a bargain so big that it cannot be thrown away. Likewise, some people consider that without it they will not remember an important moment or a person. Hence, they prefer to keep it”, they clarify from the ADAA.

In Hoarding Disorder, the subject keeps objects that are useless although his lifestyle can be developed normally "

This disorder may be linked to other aspects such as compulsive buying or the acquisition of free objects, such as cards or flyers.

“Hoarding Disorder is a disease with a chronic and progressive course. Symptoms usually begin in adolescence and increase in severity over the years. At the age of 20 they usually affect daily functioning and from the age of 30 they cause a significant clinical impediment”, says Portellano.

how to get over it

If you have noticed that you save more than you need, congratulations, you have already made progress on the problem.

“As a first prophylactic measure to prevent Hoarding Disorder, we should get rid of everything that has no use or value, because we are not going to use it anymore. Anyone should be aware that getting rid of objects that do not serve us always has a cathartic effect”, advises the psychologist.

Creating personal ties and promoting social life is another measure that can prevent or reduce the problem.

"The conditions of social isolation and the lack of interpersonal communication networks can facilitate the appearance of Hoarding Disorder in people with a greater disposition, so promoting communication and social contact can be very useful," recommends the specialist.

It can be linked to other aspects such as compulsive buying or the acquisition of free objects”

When the pathology requires expert help, there are several measures to apply depending on its degree. "Psychological treatment is the most effective, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, which aims to modify the distorted ideas of these patients about the value of the objects they store," says José Antonio.

Improving communication skills, reinforcing self-esteem and teaching problem-solving techniques are other tools that help solve the problem.