Hoarding

Something has come to my attention...

I have been watching a show on A&E called "Obsessed". This show follows adults who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and their attempts to rid themselves of OCD with therapist trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. This therapy includes exposing OCD people to the things that trigger their anxiety (dirt, germs, the dark, etc), allowing them to feel the anxiety and talking them through with strategies to manage there anxiety so it does not manifest into obsessive thoughts or compulsions.

The most recent episode involved a man with an OCD known as 'Hoarding". Basically, this man had an unnatural connection to objects and his OCD presented itself in wanting to hold onto things. His one-bedroom apartment was just lined with high piles of things, things he never was able to get rid of.

This got me thinking to Donovan. I cannot tell you the amount of times I've had to tell Donovan to clean his room. It almost seems that it starts getting messy as soon as the cleaning is done. What I've noticed recently, and certainly since last week is that there are things that Donovan will not allow me to throw away. I was wondering if I am starting to see hoarding in response to anxiety.

I researched this concept and found some articles (http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/related-conditions-196320-5.html, http://www.squidoo.com/ADHDanxiety) that show a connection to ADHD and anxiety. Considering the family history of anxiety and my own struggle with it, it make me wonder if now Donovan is now having issues with it. I am meeting with Donovan's counselor this week to go over his new behavior treatment plan and I want to ask her if she thinks he has issues with anxiety. I would like to help him try to manage the anxiety, without medication.

In addition to the above articles, WebMD has great articles about anxiety and treatment options. I would like to help Donovan deal with his emotions and feelings now, so he has the tools to cope with them later in his life.

As for the messy room, for now, I will supervise and direct him, praise his success and try to get him to let things go. Let him know that it's okay to let go of things.