According to new study, persons with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are far more prone to engage in hoarding behaviors, which can have a negative influence on their quality of life.
What Is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?
ADHD is a term that many people are familiar with. It may conjure up images of children who struggle to pay attention, or who are hyperactive or impulsive. Adults might suffer from ADHD as well. It affects around 4% to 5% of all individuals in the United States. However, few people are diagnosed or treated for it.
Who is affected by adult ADHD? Everyone who has ADHD as an adult had it as a youngster. Some may have been diagnosed and were aware of it. However, some people may not have been diagnosed when they were young and learn about it later in life.
What is hoarding
Hoarding Disorder is a recognised disorder characterised by excessive collection, difficulty discarding, and excessive clutter. The disease can cause anguish or difficulty in daily living, as well as contribute to despair and anxiety.
Hoarding Disorder is much more than simply collecting too many possessions. People with diagnosed Hoarding Disorder have filled their living areas with so many items and clutter that it impacts their day-to-day functioning leading to a poorer quality of life, anxiety, and depression.
Recent studies
The study, which was funded by the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust and published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, discovered that nearly one in every five people with ADHD had clinically significant levels of hoarding, implying that there could be a hidden population of adults struggling with hoarding and its consequences.
They then repeated the experiment with a larger online sample of 220 UK people to see if similar patterns emerged, and discovered that just 3% of this group had symptoms.
Researcher’s verdict
Overall, we discovered that those who had been diagnosed with ADHD were more likely to have hoarding characteristics. This is significant because it shows that hoarding does not only impact persons in their older years, who have been the focus of much of the study into Hoarding Disorder thus far.
“Our findings further suggest that Hoarding Disorder should be routinely tested in persons with ADHD, as they do not generally report related challenges, despite the fact that these may impede their daily life.” Similarly, many patients who are currently being treated for Hoarding Disorder may also have undiagnosed ADHD.
Tips to Try
- Sit in the front of class to limit distractions.
- Turn off your phone when doing homework.
- Talk with your teacher about your ADHD.
- Use tools that help you stay organized.
- Get plenty of exercise.
- Take activity breaks.
- Learn to meditate.
- Pay attention to all the good things about you.
Future prospects
Greater awareness amongst clinicians and people with ADHD about the link between ADHD and hoarding could also lead to more effective long-term management, as hoarding often gradually worsens with time
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