Fear of Loss (Hoarding)
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Fear of loss can include obsessions such as:
- Fears of throwing anything away; feeling extreme anxiety if attempting to throw items away
- Fears that something thrown away will be needed in the future
- Beliefs that items are valuable so they cannot be thrown away
- Fear of running out of an item (such as food, pens, reading material, paper bags)
- Extreme attachment to items of sentimental value
- Fear that others will see the clutter of accumulated items
OCD compulsions regarding loss are most often seen as compulsive hoarding. This can include:
- Saving old mail, magazines, newspapers, clipped-out articles, clothing, boxes, cans, or obviously useless items
- Saving broken items, or buying large quantities of many different items seen as “bargains.” In many cases, the quantities of items saved or acquired are so great that living space is compromised. This can also lead to health hazards (such as toxins and rodents) or deferred repairs resulting in non-functional appliances or bathroom fixtures.
- Experiencing high anxiety over making decisions of what to throw away (so it’s easier to not throw anything away)
Hoarding compulsions have also been associated with acquiring and keeping large numbers of pets.