When problems collect If you’re an obsessive collector, you might have a mental condition called ‘hoarding disorder,

When problems collect

If you’re an obsessive collector, you might have a mental condition called ‘hoarding disorder,

With over 500 cordless telephones, 250 adapters, 20-odd keyboards, 30 modems and 20 routers, Prasoon Patel’s* eight-bedroom house in South Mumbai resembles a junkyard. The 66-year-old has been collecting electronics and peripherals since 1985. Added to this collection are four rusted washing machines and stacks of newspapers. He says he buys cordless phones with bad batteries and uses his engineering skills to set them right. Divorced, Patel now lives alone. Patel suffers from asthma, but vehemently denies that the dust on his gear has anything to do with it. “I know it’s junk but I haven’t been able to clear it out yet,” he says. There’s a hint of pride in his claim that he is the only man in Mumbai with so many electronic items. Patel may have one of the largest ‘collections’ of electronics, but he isn’t the only such ‘collector’ in the city. A number of people collect things they will probably never use. Termed ‘hoarding disorder’, this condition will be recognised as a legitimate disorder once it is included in the fifth volume of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), a handbook for mental health professionals the world over, to be released next year. “Clinicians tend to qualify it as a symptom of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD),” says Mumbai-based psychologist Rochelle Suri. Experts agree that this ‘hoarding disorder’ is a sign of issues like low self esteem, anxiety and depression. “The condition could also be because people are living in the past,” says psychotherapist Sanjoy Mukerji. He cites the example of a 60-year-old Marathi teacher from Borivli who lost custody of his daughter after a divorce. He owns 1,000 discs he doesn’t listen to, 150 watches that don’t work, and stacks and stacks of old newspapers. Understandably, his brother’s family, who he lives with, started complaining about the lack of space in the house. After months of bickering with his brother, he finally sought help from a professional. “He did manage to clear out the newspapers and watches, but refuses to give up his records,” says Mukherji. “In severe cases, it can limit our activities. It can also be dangerous as it puts the individual at risk of fire, falling and poor sanitation,” says Suri. Collecting things — such as souvenirs from around the world — could just be a hobby. Hoarding is a severe condition. When symptoms “result in the accumulation of possessions...and substantially compromise their intended use”, and this “causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning”, the ‘collector’ is really a compulsive ‘hoarder’ and might need help.