What is Diogenes syndrome?
Diogenes syndrome is a behavioral disorder belonging to the group of compulsive disorders, in which there’s a considerable accumulation of objects for no apparent reason. Most sufferers don’t complain about it. However, their living environment deteriorates rapidly, as the accumulation of objects leads to unhealthy conditions 😥.
Image from the film “Clutter” starring Carol Kane, about Diogenes syndrome.
On the other hand, there’s not only an accumulation of clutter in their living space but also an excessive neglect of cleanliness. No housework is done, which can worsen the hygiene of the sufferer. In the program “You May Have Heard?”, there was even the case of a person who had blocked up his toilet and was relieving himself in bin bags (that he kept 😱!).
Pathology or lifestyle?
It’s legitimate to wonder whether this is really a pathology, or whether people are just overwhelmed by the accumulation of objects and dirt. According to psychiatrist and hospital practitioner Jean-Claude Monfort, who carries out research into Diogenes syndrome, for 9 out of 10 people there’s a pathology associated with them. So it’s the illness that dominates the lifestyle and that very often hides real internalized suffering 😔.
To recognize this syndrome, 3 characteristics must come together:
- 👉 A compulsive accumulation of various objects,
- 👉 Neglect of personal and physical hygiene,
- 👉 Withdrawal and social isolation.
Active and passive Diogenes
We can distinguish between the “Active Diogenes” who like to collect a wide variety of objects and the “Passive Diogenes” who no longer tidy up or clean up because of their depressive state. In both cases, the person refuses any outside help for fear that someone will come into their home. |
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The causes of Diogenes syndrome
Around 2,000 people are thought to suffer from this condition. Although it’s impossible to establish a typical profile of people suffering from this condition, most of the time it’s the elderly who are affected 😕. Both men and women are affected, but women are prevalent. This is because the latter have a longer life expectancy.
Where you live has no impact, you can accumulate objects in a house or a flat, in the city or the country. Just like social background, there’s no one class that’s more or less affected than another, billionaires can live in slums 😅!
It’s essentially the psychological mechanisms that can raise the alarm about Diogenes syndrome. 3 main causes trigger it:
- 👉 A medical reason: such as an illness like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, alcoholism, a paranoid disorder, etc.
- 👉 A personality disorder: most profiles have a strong character that’s difficult to live with, a rich and complex personality that very often conceals a histrionic personality disorder or borderline disorder.
- 👉 A trauma: An emotional shock (death, job dismissal, moving house, etc.) or even a buried trauma. It may be a lack of affection that occurred during early childhood (between 0 and 3 years old). This suffering reappears in adulthood.
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How do you help someone with Diogenes syndrome?
“It’s someone who doesn’t ask for anything, even if they need it, and is happy like that. They need everything and ask for nothing. And that’s rare in our society.” Jean-Claude Monfort, psychiatrist.
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It’s a very difficult syndrome to treat because sufferers can very quickly feel attacked if you try to help them because they don’t see the problem. So you have to go about it gradually to raise awareness and make the person understand that you want to offer support and help. You need to show that you’re concerned about the person’s mental and physical health.
To do this, you need to contact the sufferer’s doctor so that you can refer them to a healthcare professional. The sufferer may be more receptive to help from a doctor than from those around them. Once trust has been established, the sufferer needs to be persuaded to take care of themselves (by improving their hygiene). After that, the living space needs to be cleaned by professionals (always with the sufferer’s consent).
The final point, and probably the most important one, is that they should start psychological counseling so that the causes of the suffering can be clearly understood. Loneliness following the loss of a partner may be one of the main reasons. Thereafter, it’s important to carry out regular checks to ensure that the sufferer isn’t returning to their previous living conditions.
Editor’s note: A complex disorderAs you’ve seen, Diogenes syndrome is a complex behavioral disorder that can leave us feeling helpless when someone close to us is affected. It’s important to talk about it, both for the person concerned and for us. So don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a healthcare professional to start the process, and contact associations specializing in Diogenes syndrome, who will know how best to support you.
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