Psychology: Raising too many animals is a sign of mental disorder!

Obsessive animal ownership can be defined as keeping a larger than usual number of animals without the ability to care for them and provide them with minimum standards of nutrition and hygiene.

Obsessive animal hoarding syndrome

According to experts, this syndrome is called Noah syndrome , also known as "animal hoarding" . This syndrome is named after the biblical character - Noah - who built a giant ark and brought a large number of animals on board.

In fact, very few people know about animal possessive syndrome, but this is a health problem that can affect the whole community.

People who have an obsession with owning animals often live in misery : Urine and feces can stain walls and floors, while the house deteriorates due to unsanitary conditions.

There are approximately 2,000 new cases of animal possession phobia identified in the United States each year. And the numbers behind closed doors could be even higher.

The American Psychiatric Association points out that hoarding can affect 2-5% of the adult population in the United States. The most commonly hoarded animals are cats and dogs, although any type of animal, including large farm animals, can be hoarded. In a study of 71 animal hoarders, approximately 82% of cases involved cats, 55% dogs, 17% birds, 6% reptiles, 11% small mammals, 6% horses, and 6% domestic animals. cattle, sheep or goats.

The obsession with possessing animals is much more complex than the obsession with hoarding objects , because it stems from many different motives.

Hoarding behavior can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders. (Illustration).

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) indicates that approximately 75% of people with hoarding disorder have an accompanying mood or anxiety disorder . Hoarding behavior can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders, such as delusional disorder, major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder .

Others believe that hoarding may be an maladaptive response to a traumatic event such as the sudden death of a loved one. The typical (non-exclusive) profile of an animal hoarder is a woman over 60 years old, cares for 40+ animals, and has been collecting animals for over 20 years.

There are 3 basic types of people with Noah syndrome: Overwhelmed Caregiver (OC), Rescue Hoarder (RH) and Exploit Hoarder (Exploiter Hoarder).

The first two types of people can suffer from delusional disorders such as "salvation complex". They believe they are helping animals, despite their illnesses and deteriorating conditions.

An "overloaded caregiver" is often someone who feels responsible for caring for animals but is overwhelmed or overly pressured by the number of animals needing care. This often occurs after life upheaval, including health, economic, social or career status.

OC people often have a strong bond with their animals and strive to take care of them. However, they are often unable to meet the care needs of all animals, leading to problems.

"Rescue hoarders" are the most common type among people with the obsession to own too many animals.

They feel emotionally driven to "rescue" all animals and may refuse any possibility of euthanasia, even when an animal is terminally ill or in pain.

They are often uncooperative when authorities try to intervene because they do not realize the harm they are causing. Additionally, they may view animal control as the enemy for trying to remove animals from their care.

Of the three types of people above, "exploitative hoarders" are the most difficult to manage because they are likely to also have antisocial personality disorder. They may be aware of their condition, but lack empathy for humans or animals and are motivated to hoard animals by financial gain.

What to do to help people with animal hoarding syndrome

The best way to deal with this problem so far is to detect cases of obsessive animal ownership early and coordinate with authorities to solve them.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has launched a program that brings together professionals such as social workers, veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and law enforcement agencies. humane law and a variety of other human and animal service agencies.

But in general, society tends to look down on people with Noah syndrome, especially when seeing images of dirty houses with sick animals. But we must admit that this is a serious mental syndrome that needs treatment, not simply due to personal wishes or choices.

If we want to effectively reduce the number of "animal hoarding" cases, we must increase awareness of this syndrome and aggressively pursue more therapeutic research.