Tag Archives: anxiety disorder

Postscript–Hoarding Humor

Through the trials and tribulations of educating ourselves and empowering Daniel to deal with his hoarding issues, there were some light moments in our otherwise serious quest for answers. The following are some examples of the humorous side of our life with an obsessive/compulsive hoarder. STOCKPILING We live on the coast of Texas and are susceptible to hurricanes. During the season, we keep an extra amount of canned goods, batteries, and bottled water on hand. Daniel has his own hurricane emergency kit. It includes seven packets of taco sauce from Jack in the Box, a stale package of croutons from … Continue reading →

Compulsive Hoarding-Part 3

In the third part of Compulsive Hoarding, I would like to discuss the strategies we employed in our attempt to positively retrain Daniel in his obsessive behaviors beyond the kitchen and his food issues. Medications are available for the treatment of obsessive behavior. Because the symptoms are usually included in the categories of Attachment Disorder and Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, some physicians prescribe meds (used to treat these specific disorders) to assist in minimizing the symptoms. Paul and I declined this resource of treatment. We felt in the beginning, and still maintain the logic, Daniel’s compulsive behavior was due to his circumstances … Continue reading →

Compulsive Hoarding-Part 1

Our youngest has a real problem with hoarding. He saves everything. It is very difficult for him to discard school papers, outgrown clothing and shoes, old or broken toys, anything that Daniel considers his. Food also falls in this category and was the first place I became aware of the problem. When the boys first came to live with us, I noticed within several days, Daniel would hide food in the back of the refrigerator or the freezer. At first I gave it little thought; as time went on, it progressed and small amounts of food were stashed throughout the … Continue reading →

Anxiety: The new plague of the millennium

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Stress and anxiety have overtaken the contagious diseases that once plagued our grandparents and are regarded as the new epidemics of the 21st century. Having developed vaccinations for any number of communicable and deadly diseases, we are now left with the unease of the mind. Our fast-paced lives and changing family structures can contribute to a sense of helplessness and instability. Stressed-out people are now far more common than laid-back folk, and this is reflected in the increasing incidence of domestic violence, road rage, stress-related illness, and full-blown mental breakdowns, together with the rapidly escalating use of tranquillizers and antidepressants. … Continue reading →

Social Phobia – A Case Study

Jeff is a quiet sort of a guy. He is reasonably well-liked, mainly because he doesn’t step on anyone’s toes and is always willing to go along with other people’s suggestions. His acquaintances sometimes laugh about how shy he is, and how odd it is that a grown man can blush for no apparent reason. “What color’s red, Jeff?”is always guaranteed to get a few laughs. For everyone except Jeff, of course. He’s also popular with the boss at work, as he gets on with the job without too much fuss and doesn’t waste time standing around telling jokes and … Continue reading →