@BlueSummerBaby You're absolutely correct in theory but it doesn't prevent it being misused, widened out, and that's often when levels of fear and paranoia can set in for some of us, while others end there without that happening.
Thank you for engaging with it, because I think It's one of many conversations that needs to be more widely had and explored, in the attempts to unpick why hoarding is traditionally seen as so difficult to treat.
Currently it seems we're left to figure out these things ourselves.
Some of us are on the extreme ends, and some far more moderate, or in earlier stages not yet aware, (and others healing well) but at any level we are all potentially affected by more than 'attachment to stuff.'
The issue for me is has been a rotten council combined with my own long term disability and others attempted control over me, and what was attempted with DD when after a ten year battle I managed to get her some compensation for her life changing injuries. We've seen again and again with different situations that it's a mechanism here, that gets used on people who've tried to be independent all their lives, but are now in a position of needing temporary or permanent support, or just CT discounts.
Somehow you have to balance knowing that, with not allowing it to become all consuming. I'm not quite there yet, but getting there.
I don't know if this will chime with others, but I think many who are already in fear of being 'discovered' as hoarders are more prone to feeling misjudged, and needing to both hide, and justify themselves, which results in others becoming suspicious of them.
It often starts with just 'a bit of a mess' and so not inviting others in for fear of judgement, and the rest follows, all of it can then transfer into keeping 'evidence' to protect themselves.
Conversely, councils often treat people with hoarding disorder as likely to be hoarding and hiding wealth that could be being used by them.
When there is nothing, the response can be to look to see if there used to be, and it can somehow be clawed back. Some are strong arming using their own rules and determinations of what 'deprivation of assets' means.
It ends up as 'Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you' even when it shouldn't be happening, and somehow a balance has to be found regardless.
One day I think we may talk about HD and 'complex' HD the same way we are beginning to recognize PTSD and CPTSD may benefit from different approaches.
We will recognize that some people have HD (that may also present differently from expected) as a direct result of specific causal experiences, (ie childhood poverty or neglect, low level or not, or death, disruption, and displacement, or neuro diverse, and or never absorbed how to 'discriminate' or 'house keep' ) 'group A.'
Others will have more than one, (ie childhood poverty, combined with neglect, then cruelty and death, disruption, and displacement, some also neuro diverse) ''group B.'
Some will have multiple layers of causal experiences, (ie war, forced emigration, leading to childhood poverty, cultural destruction, cruelty, repeated loss, including of identity, or integrity, neuro diversity, wrongful accusation leading to loss, removal, resulting in emotional transfer to objects.) 'group C.' and so on.
We will (ok might!) recognize that someone in category A could actually be more deeply or differently, affected than someone in category C, and 'causal experiences' shouldn't be treated as some sort of 'top trumps.' Just a way of unpicking and better understanding of what treatment pathways and self work, might be useful for each individual affected.