What's This Disorder Called?

QUESTION:

Dear Dr. Heller,

What is the name of the disorder where people stay home all the time and collect tons of junk and never throw anything away?

Thanks.

ANSWER:

The not wanting to leave the house can have many causes especially depression and panic with agoraphobia.

The never throwing things away is likely the OCPD - obsessive compulsive personality disorder.  I believe this is a genetic diagnosis that gets profoundly better with high doses of SSRI medications, especially Prozac.  I devote an entire chapter to this in "Biological Unhappiness".  The official criteria can be found at http://www.BiologicalUnhappiness.com/DSM-OCPD.htm.