Hoarding disorder is characterized by accumulating possessions and items in excessive quantities regardless of the monetary or intrinsic value of the items. Individuals collect paper, broken pieces of items, clothing, random trinkets, or even animals. Some individuals diagnosed with hoarding disorder collect and keep everything. Piles of belongings can block doors, hallways, rooms, and even lead to safety concerns.
Hoarding manifests in different ways for individuals, and clinicians assess the severity of the disorder based on a tiered and numbered staging spectrum. What are the five stages of hoarding? Learn about each stage and discover how to identify the earliest stages of this disorder.
Table of Contents:
Level 1: The Beginning Stages of Hoarding
Level 2 Hoarding: Obvious Disorganization
Level 3 Hoarding: Odors and Unusable Spaces
Level 4: Strong Odors, Multiple Unusable Spaces, and Pest Infestation
Level 5: Serious Health and Safety Concerns, Legal Issues, and Possible Injury
Animal Hoarding: Why It’s an Emergency
Who Helps With Hoarding
Key Takeaways:
There are five levels (or stages of hoarding), with each level indicating the degree of severity. During Level 1, the hoarding concerns begin to manifest. By Level 5, hoarding results in unsafe living conditions that threaten health, relationships, and finances.
Level 1: The Beginning Stages of Hoarding
Slight clutter concerns and disorganization typically categorize Level 1 or Stage 1 of Hoarding Disorder. Some experts explain that individuals with this stage of hoarding disorder might shop excessively, amassing an abundance of new clothes or items.
Some individuals may shop excessively because items are a bargain; for example, constant “thrift hauls” of clothing or items could be the first sign of a hoarding problem. However, it’s also important to note that buying large amounts of clothing (or a particular item) does not always indicate hoarding disorder. Some individuals are collectors.
What is the difference between collecting and hoarding? When individuals have space in a home to properly store collections and display the items, health and safety are not compromised. The collection does not create a cluttered environment.
Hoarding, however, results in disorganization and, in more extreme cases, dangerous amounts of clutter. Order does not exist. Hoarding begins with small clutter; purchases or other items pile up. Rooms begin to feel overcrowded.
As the individual progresses into later stages, this small amount of clutter and disorganization metastasizes to other home areas.
Level 2 Hoarding: Obvious Disorganization Manifests
Level 2 or stage two of hoarding often is the point where clutter becomes a concern. The home feels disorganized and cluttered; items stack up or litter tables and the floor.
Rooms might look messy and cluttered, but they are navigable. Safety is not yet a concern, and while the home might feel a bit dirty, health is not compromised. Things simply feel overwhelming and chaotic.
During Level 2, individuals might be wary of inviting people into their home. They may be aware that the home is messy and uninviting. If the individual progresses to stage 3 or level 3, the clutter infiltrates the living space.
Level 3 Hoarding: Odors and Unlivable Spaces
When hoarding reaches Level 3, there is no question that the individual has a problem with clutter and disorganization. The clutter now emanates an odor. There could be animal feces or rotting food.
As items pile up, dirt and grime create breeding grounds for bacteria and mold. Clutter and items may be so extreme that an entire room is now unlivable.
Level 4: Strong Odors, Multiple Unusable Spaces, and Pest Infestation
Level 4 is one of the more serious stages of hoarding. At this point, piles of items lead to many rooms in the home being unusable. Individuals suffering from Level 4 will live in a space with a strong odor, and insect infestations are common.
At this stage, health and safety become a concern. Blocked rooms minimize escape routes, and the clutter can pose a fire hazard. There may be electrical wires that are exposed, too.
Cockroaches and flies are common. As clutter and waste accumulate, items may go missing. These items could include important documents, jewelry, or financial records.
Individuals with Level 4 hoarding disorder may also avoid inviting family or friends into the home. Many understand that there is an issue, but they do not believe they need help. Instead, they avoid the judgment of others and minimize exposure to their home.
Level 5: Serious Health and Safety Concerns, Legal Issues, and Possible Injury
Level 5 hoarding is the most extreme case. At this point, the home is uninhabitable. All rooms are cluttered, doorways are blocked with items, the home is infested with rodents and bugs, there is waste (human and possibly animal) on the floors, the refrigerator might not work, and the home’s structural integrity may be compromised.
By the time hoarding reaches stage 5, individuals may have strained relationships with family, have health concerns, and live in a dangerous environment. At this stage, individuals may also face eviction or other legal concerns.
Animal Hoarding: Why It Is An Emergency
Animal hoarding is a unique case of hoarding, and it’s typically extreme (Level 4 or 5). Animal hoarding is always an emergency situation because the health and wellbeing of the animals are at risk.
A quarter of a million animals suffer as part of an animal hoarding compulsion. According to the Pasadena Star News, cats are the most hoarded animal. In extreme cases of animal hoarding, animals are so neglected and mistreated that they must be euthanized.
The most common signs of animal hoarding are:
Numerous animals chained or restrained outside
Many cats or animals in windows
A stench of feces or urine that is detectable outside the home
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) includes a more extensive list of warning signs of animal hoarding. When this abuse is suspected, neighbors should call the authorities. The lives of animals are at risk in these extreme hoarding situations.
Who Helps with Hoarding?
Hoarding affects all areas of an individual’s life: relationships, health/well-being, and financial stability. Hoarding also can lead to legal concerns like eviction. The International Hoarding Alliance provides a directory of resources for friends/family and professionals who need resources to help someone diagnosed with hoarding disorder. Use our directory, and contact the Alliance for additional help and guidance.
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