Why Can’t You Just Throw It Out?
Have you ever wondered why some people cannot get rid of any of their stuff? Researchers conducted a study where they scanned the brains of those individuals with hoarding behaviors and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and compared their findings to brain scans of those who do not suffer from these disorders. During the scanning process, the individuals were shown pictures of their own junk mail and similar clutter. They were then asked to make decisions about what to throw away.
The brain scans of those individuals with hoarding behaviors indicated that they have a difficult time making decisions about their own items. They cannot differentiate which belongings are essential and relevant. The study leaders believe that those individuals may feel under-stimulated when examining their homes, but over-stimulated when required to make decisions about what is a treasure and what is junk. As a result, they feel anxious, depressed, and stuck. However, those with OCD but not hoarding did not have the same problem with decision-making. Interestingly, so many have linked OCD and hoarding. However, extensive research has shown that they are not necessarily linked.
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