ADD & ADHD

Research shows that while many people who are compulsive hoarders have attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), the reverse is not true. People with ADD are not typically hoarders. Nor are they on some kind of disorganisation spectrum that ends up in the mental disorder called hoarding. What gives rise to problematic clutter that can look like hoarding is less-than-stellar executive functioning.

Before we look into hoarding further, what exactly is ADD and ADHD? Well they are the same thing, just under different names. Up until 1987 attention-deficit-disorder was known simply as ADD. After 1987, ‘hyper-activity’ was added to the term and it has been know since then as ADHD. There can be some confusion between the two terms as some people still use ADD, probably mostly out of habit. However this term is no longer relevant since hyper-activity was added and we would encourage people to use the term ADHD rather than ADD. The reason for this is that all of the symptoms for ADD can now all be linked under ADHD instead.

How does ADHD link to hoarding?

A number of studies have looked into the link between ADHD and hoarding. While it has been difficult for researches to determine exactly how the two are linked, there are signs to show that the two can exist side by side. A 2013 study by ‘Depression and Anxiety’ linked childhood ADHD to hoarding tendencies later in life. They found that children with ADHD, particularly inattentive type, were more likely to exhibit hoarding tendencies later in life than those without it.

In a 2010 study, researches found a “strong association between ADHD and hoarding.” However, scientists couldn’t be sure whether these two conditions were co-morbid or whether symptoms similar to ADHD are a part of hoarding. Some results of the study pointed more toward overlapping symptoms, meaning that both conditions existed side-by-side

Read on to find out more about how ADHD brains can slip from clutter into hoarding.

 

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Remember, if you or someone you know is suffering from hoarding, you can contact us at www.facebook.com/CloudsEndCIC for help.

To read more stories like this one, why not take a look at some of our other blog articles here.