Hoarding is a type of OCD that affects a significant number of people. People with hoarding problems are unable to throw things away, and they tend to accumulate large amounts of unnecessary items in their homes. Hoarders often report feeling afraid to throw things out, fearing they might accidentally lose something important. As a result, their homes can become cluttered, their relationships strained and their lives unmanageable.

It has been known for some time that OCD runs in families. A recent study in The American Journal of Psychiatry reports that hoarding may also be genetic. The study examined families of hoarders and found that in families with at least two hoarders, there was significant link between OCD and chromosome 14. This information strengthens the case that OCD has a strong biological basis.

_{Source: Samuels et al, Am J Psychiatry 164:493-499, March 2007}