Commentary
What do squirrels, woodpeckers, fiddler crabs, rats, and human beings have in common? At first glance, very little. But they all hoard. However, unlike the other animals listed, humans have developed an unhealthy obsession with the excessive accumulation of stuff. This is especially true in the United States, where hoarding is now considered an epidemic of epic proportions (pdf).
We are the descendants of hoarders. Hoarding played an integral role in the survival of our ancestors. The desire to hoard appears to be rooted deep in the human brain. In modern society, with everything just one click away, there’s very little, if any, reason to hoard. Nevertheless, from Flint to Fort Lauderdale, hoarding is on the rise.
Scientists, up until very recently, placed compulsive hoarders in the same box as those with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now, though, most agree that it’s very much a distinct disorder that deserves much greater attention. For those who find themselves sniggering at the silliness of the subject, there’s nothing funny about a hoarding disorder. The psychologist’s bible, also known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, refers to clinical hoarding as a constant inability to discard objects, regardless of their actual value, without feeling a great deal of anxiety. The object could be something as basic as a paper bag or a plastic fork. The point here is that the individual’s desire to hold onto the object is totally detached from its actual value, or lack thereof.
Human beings are capable of hoarding just about anything, from canned goods to canines. Hoarding is hazardous and can even result in death. In October of last year, an 86-year-old woman and 31 dogs were killed in a Phoenix house fire. As KPTV reported at the time, Phoenix police said a total of 37 dogs were found in the home, a vast majority of them locked inside small, metal cages. The dogs, malnourished and infested with ticks, lived in “hoard-like conditions,” according to the report. In December, an elderly woman in Deltona, Florida, lost her life in a house fire. Neighbors described her as a known hoarder.
Sadly, across the United States, hoarding is a problem that’s likely to get much worse over the coming decades. Here’s why.
Americans have never been lonelier. The negative effects of prolonged loneliness can’t be overstated. Chronic loneliness costs the U.S. economy billions each year. It’s strongly associated with severe inflammation, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Loneliness also increases the risk of developing dementia (by 2030, more than 9 million Americans are expected to have dementia; by 2040, 12 million).
Moreover, this distressing state of mind is also associated with the propensity to hoard. It’s very possible that those who lack adequate human connection instead form bonds with their belongings. Some even anthropomorphize their objects, and the lonelier the person, the more likely they are to do so. This explains why it’s so difficult for those struggling with a hoarding disorder to part with their various objects.
There’s a strong link between the elderly and hoarding. Although loneliness affects Americans of all ages, the problem is especially prevalent among those older than 65. Today, some 25 percent of Americans 65 or older live in social isolation. The U.S. population is aging rapidly; by 2040, one in five Americans will be 65 or older.
As AgingCare’s Anne-Marie Botek has noted, the aging process is connected with “a dramatic decline in the quality and frequency” of an individual’s social interactions. Fueled by profound feelings of loneliness, people may turn to the accumulation of things for comfort.
Loneliness is a public health emergency that needs immediate attention. In 2018, the UK appointed the world’s first minister for loneliness. In 2021, Japan, a country that’s experiencing its own troubles with loneliness, did the very same thing. Isn’t it about time the United States, supposedly the greatest country in the world, followed suit? By appointing an individual qualified to dissect the problem, the United States would be going a long way to addressing both loneliness and hoarding, two serious issues that are very much intertwined.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
