Lack of Socialization
Although the compulsion is strong and oftentimes unmanageable, hoarders do realize that something is wrong. They will often be embarrassed that they have let their lives and their homes become filthy. They will be frustrated, because people may be disgusted with them. Such emotions cause these individuals to alienate themselves from friends and family in an attempt to conceal their problems.
Hoarders will also stop inviting people over to their home. Should the hoarder have children, their kids will often avoid having friends over, and they may distance themselves from their parents, because they don’t want people finding out or are humiliated by their parent’s hoarding. After all, hoarding typically produces unsanitary conditions.
One important note to make is that hoarding behaviors are often not obvious right away. Similarly, decreased socialization will take time to worsen, and the ultimate self-imposed isolation that most hoarders face does not occur at the flip of a switch. Many families are amazed to find that the hoarding has already progressed to a severe level before they ever find out.
