A report published by BMJ Case Reports, examined a 47-year-old man whose obsession³ with hoarding⁴ digital pictures severely⁵ interfered⁶ with his day-to-day life, preventing him from sleeping and even leaving his home.

 

The man was formerly⁷ diagnosed with autism and hoarding tactile⁸ objects – a condition that has been documented in the mental health reference manual DSM-5.

 

But at the time the man was checked into an outpatient clinic, there had been no previous formal diagnosis⁹ of digital hoarding.

 

According to the case report, the man mostly hoarded¹⁰ objects with little to no economic value - like paperwork and bike components¹¹ - because he felt they would be of use to him in the future.

 

As as a result, his house was extremely cluttered¹².

 

Eventually, after obtaining a digital camera, the man began to hoard¹ digital pictures, as well.

 

Digital photography became his primary daytime activity, and he took up to 1,000 pictures each day, mostly of landscapes, the report said.

 

But, as with the tactile objects he hoarded, the man struggled to discard the pictures.

 

He ended up using four external hard drives to maintain the original pictures, as well as four additional hard drives to store the backups.

 

He spent three to five hours each day organizing the pictures, which led to feelings of frustration¹³.

 

Organizing the pictures also interfered with his sleep and prevented him from partaking in other activities, including cleaning his house, relaxing or going outside.

 

Doctors conducted a number of hoarding questionnaires, and found that their patient met all the DSM-5 criteria¹⁴ for hoarding disorder¹⁵ for his object hoarding.

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