Hoarding is studied as mental disorder

Hartford, Conn.-- U.S. doctors are finding that hoarding -- the act of constantly acquiring possessions -- is very different from obsessive compulsive disorder.

In severe cases, hoarders acquire so much stuff -- like Christmas ornaments, fabrics and art prints -- their lives can become overrun, The Hartford Courant reported.

Dr. David Tolin, director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living, told the Courant that hoarding is quite different from OCD because hoarding seems not to be affected by drugs or talk therapy, which are known to be effective in treating OCD.

Hoarding, some mental health professionals say, has a genetic component, as hoarding often seems to run in families.

Hoarders are known to buy items, like art supplies, that they plan to use but never do. Instead, the items pile up and create clutter.

The Courant talked to one woman who spent a $75,000 inheritance buying items from the Home Shopping Network.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.