Over the past decade, officials in Paris have turned increasing attention to helping people with a disorder that causes them to hoard objects in their homes. The disorder, called Diogenes syndrome, is characterised by neglect for hygiene, social withdrawal and an unwillingness to seek help. Last year, 148 cases of the disorder were reported in Paris, up from just 20 a decade ago, says Pascal Martin, head of the city’s technical housing department. "It’s very worrying," he says. Because people with Diogenes syndrome don’t seek help, it’s often relatives, a body corporate, landlord or even a firefighter who alert officials. Agents from social services often find unsanitary living conditions when they come to the homes of hoarders. Even if officials are able to enter the house, they can find it difficult to move around because of the accumulated waste. Sometimes these agents can’t even see the floor. "Some people climb the walls of debris in order to move from one room to another," say...
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