Although compulsive hoarding appears to be a chronic, progressive disorder, little is known
about its onset and course. The current study employed retrospective assessment of 51
individuals with compulsive hoarding difficulties to determine onset of various hoarding
symptoms (clutter, acquisition, difficulty discarding), as well as the individual's degree of
recognition of the problem at various times throughout his or her life. Participants were
asked to describe life events from each decade that occurred at the time hoarding symptoms …