Hoarding Disorder - Research Paper Example

In comparison, OCD has a lifetime prevalence of 1% to 2% of the American population. Between 25% to 30% of patients with OCD meet medical hoarding disorder criteria (Brauer et al., 2011). Two key treatment options exist for hoarding disorder: medication and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Medication is often the first line of cure even when the clinical practitioner recommends CBT. SSRI (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors) medications are the most common medications prescribed for those with compulsive hoarding (Steketee and Frost, 2013).

Examples of SSRI are venlafaxine and paroxetine, which the sufferer normally takes high amounts of for a minimum of three months. CBT is a common treatment for OCD as trials that apply conventional CBT methods also apply to hoarding disorder. However, reports of responses to CBT by compulsive hoarders reveal poor responses and success rates (Brauer et al., 2011). Alternatively, intensive CBT with a skilled therapist in the course of an extended period can help alleviate hoarding disorder. Physicians often administer CBT for compulsive hoarders in six sessions.

A third but uncommon treatment option for compulsive hoarding is intervention. Overall interventions for OCD include EBP (Evidence-Based Practice) treatments and regimens, which are also applicable in the treatment of hoarding disorder. EBP and regimens can be in the form of therapy strategies and medications. The latest EBP treatments tackle a crucial but generally under-studied psychological health issue like hoarding disorder that physicians are not ready to treat (Muroff et al., 2011). EBP treatment methods are special and path breaking in the sense that they are manual-based treatments.

EBP treatments further measure the intensity of hoarding amongst suffers to accomplish three key outcomes: knowledge expansion, skill attainment and devotion, and involvement in and gratification with