Compulsive Hoarding

A pattern of behavior that is characterized by the excessive collection of possessions (often items of little value to others such as old newspapers, containers and clothing that may someday be "useful") coupled with the inability to discard and/or properly organize them creating a messy, sometimes unsanitary environment that, in extreme cases, no longer functions as a viable living space. When these behaviors are combined with severe self-neglect and hostility to the outside world, Diogenes syndrome (also known as senile squalor syndrome) may be the proper diagnosis.