Forum User. This is generally done under the belief that the event, person, or object carries a special significance and will be important to recall exactly as-is at a later date. 1 Reply. Memory hoarding is a mental compulsion to over-attend to the details of an event, person, or object in an attempt to mentally store it for safekeeping. Most of the information about memory hoarding seems to come from blogs or other nonofficial sources. I don't know if it's OCD, but if you already have OCD it could well be at least connected. Ten Things You Need To Know To Overcome OCD, Examining The Link Between OCD And Social Anxiety Disorder, Archived Articles on OCD Treatment & Research, Saving useless items – mail, magazines, clothing, cans, old food, candy wrappers, bottle caps, broken items; being unable to part with things that are not needed any more, Holding on to items for fear that they might be needed sometime in the future, such as books, newspapers, school papers, clothing, Buying produce at a grocery store in multiples of 3 (e.g., 3 apples, 6 bananas, etc.) Just clothes in a closet. This is generally done under the belief that the event, person, or object carries a special significance and will be … There are a number of other reasons why individuals with OCD have difficulty discarding and/or acquiring objects. Someone with OCD who is engaging in memory hoarding symptoms is likely to feel trapped in a state of never fully being able to take in the true value of this moment. Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which a person has certain thoughts repeatedly (called "obsessions") or feels the need to perform certain routines repeatedly (called "compulsions") to an extent which generates distress or impairs general functioning. Yes. Apparently hoarding memory, or “memory hoarding,” according to the OCD Center of Los Angeles blog, is a shared trait of hoarders whether they have OCD or not. I am very superstitious and I always have to knock on wood or make sure I apologize to myself over and over if I say something even remotely offensive about someone. Brain functionality could mean damaged or impaired functionality either from illness, drugs, or physical damage. Dealing with OCD regarding memory and knowing what is normal ? OCD is a mental health disorder that affects how an individual thinks, their thoughts become obsessive causing negative and persistent urges. For the most part, the images that follow probably look ordinary, boring. Commonly explained by a past trauma or stress, emotional hoarding fills some emotional need that the person may have been deprived of in their past. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hoarding can co-occur causing severe distress, anxiety, and unsafe living environments. For more information on earning CE credit for this article, go to APA Monitor's CE Corner. I just never had a name for it -- and frankly, wouldn't even have known how to describe it in the first place. don't even know what they have in their massive piles and stacks of stuff. But to my OCD mind, all the clothes "must" be facing to the right. By OCD help, 8 hours ago in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Reply to this topic; Also, individuals with Hoarding Disorder believe their possessions are useful or have aesthetic value, even though others would deem them useless or of limited value.  Moreover, they do form attachments to items and may experience distress (e.g., grief, anger, anxiety) at the prospect of discarding them. Hoarding is the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. Followers 0. 16 comments. In addition, there is no ritualistic quality associated with Hoarding Disorder – that is, it’s not an active attempt to neutralize unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses.  Avoidance of repetitive rituals may also play a role: a person may avoid throwing out old mail, for example, because it would trigger endless, anxiety-laden checking rituals.  Or fears of making the wrong decision about discarding something may be so intense that it becomes easier not to discard anything.  Regardless of the obsessions and rituals associated with this form of hoarding, the result is the accumulation – in some cases, excessive – of items or objects.