WHAT IS THE DIOGENES SYNDROME?
The Diogenes syndrome is a behavioral disorder characterized by a lack of self-care both physically (diet and health) as well as personal hygiene, and emotionally (social isolation).
They are usually people obsessed with the hoarding of objects of all kinds, coming to live flooded by all the things they take.
These things come from everywhere, generally from containers, scrap yards. In addition to excessive accumulation, poor hygiene has effects for themselves and their neighbors.
The characteristic social isolation of these people is a consequence of their inability to recognize the problem. Therefore, families, friends and neighbors, no matter how much they say it, it is difficult for them to recognize it, so they gradually isolate themselves. It usually occurs in elderly people, since the research that has been carried out on this disorder indicates that it is derived from other pathologies such as dementias or psychiatric illnesses.
However, there was a case involving a 22-year-old man described as a clinical case of Diogenes Syndrome. The subject began using cocaine three years ago and due to this addiction, his mental and physical health began to deteriorate rapidly. Neighbors of this young man complained about the bad smell that emanated from his apartment and discovered that he was living among tons of garbage that reached three feet high.
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