Have you ever seen a hoarder? A true hoarder? I don’t mean someone who collects teacups, baseball cards, or precious stones. A collector displays selected objects for all to see. A real hoarder stuffs things away for fear of not having enough. In fact, a hoarder never has enough! Hoarding is a very private disorder, one that usually accompanies isolation, fear, and phobia. A psychological disorder, hoarding is not only isolating, but it can be dangerous, causing problems in living conditions, cleanliness, and rifts in one’s closest relationships.

Hoarding disorder appears on the surface to be the difficulty someone has in discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A hoarder is committed to excessive accumulation regardless of the value of the objects.…