CNN
–
Growing up undernourished, Kimmy Ceridon and her sister see how their childhood experiences leave their mark on their lives.
Ceridan looked back at how she would sneak back to her room with the extras she could find. And now, she expects to not get a fair share of the time she shares with someone.
When the outbreak hit, Seriden said she and her sister talked about how vigilant they had to be to not panic and run to stores to stock up on food.
“We were living in scarcity, and now here we were living in scarcity again, and even though neither of us was in danger of food shortages, it was causing us a lot of stress,” said Seriden, owner of Life Love Cheese. Pasture Board Company in Boston.
Most people like to see a pantry full of food for themselves and their families. But when the amount of food is too large, hidden or too expensive to throw away when it spoils, experts say, a person may be involved in food hoarding.
Between 2% and 6% of people suffer from Harding’s disorder, according to International OCD FoundationA non-profit organization that supports people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Among these diseases Food storage.
About 75% of these people have another mental health problem besides hoarding, such as major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, the foundation said.
It’s natural to have an emotional connection to food and to find comfort in its presence, says Kate Daigle, a licensed eating disorder specialist in Denver.
But for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, food shortages or other traumas, the urge to hoard food can be debilitating, says a New York psychologist. Dr. Alexis Conson.
Food stocks can vary depending on an individual’s access to food, Daigle said.
For young children, it can mean hiding food from their parents or guardians in their rooms or closets — sometimes they eat it, but sometimes they don’t, he said.
“It’s just coming from a place where it’s kind of emotional, kind of safe for him there,” Daigle said. “It’s not really a physical withdrawal from food, but there may be some lack of emotion or thinking around food.”
For adults or children who have access to money, that can mean going out and buying large amounts of food and sometimes stashing it in hidden places, Daigle said.
“It’s interesting to talk about food storage after the Covid-19 pandemic is over, because food collection has a purpose then,” Daigle said.
But for many Americans, having a basement, pantry or entire house full of food isn’t important, she said.
Adjustments around food storage can affect finances when a person spends all their money on food and fails to take care of other basic needs. There are also hygiene and health issues when food is affected, Daigle said.
There are also concerns around mental health and social relationships, she added. Some people who engage in food hoarding behaviors may be withdrawn due to embarrassment or feel more comfortable being around food and being in public.
Dr. Erin Rinehart, professor of neuroscience at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, says that storing more food than we need at a given moment is in some ways systematic and normal.
“It turned into insurance like hunger,” she said.
Many animals have developed ways to store food to survive, she added.
“In animals, if they have a short-term exposure to food, the behavior increases.” Rhinehart said. “It’s basically an insurance policy or a way to make sure you never run out of food.”
Food hoarding can share underlying problems — but it’s not necessarily caused by an eating disorder, Daigle said.
“It’s not about the food. It’s about the character,” she says. Some eating disorders have food hoarding as part of their behavior, she says, and the same experience can predispose people to hoarding and eating disorder behaviors.
Many people with these traits may have experienced significant trauma in childhood.
“Maybe there was a real lack of money for food for the family, and therefore what kind of food the child could stock up on,” she said. And as adults, people may continue to stockpile food for fear of another shortage.
But shortages of other things children need can lead to food hoarding, Daigle said.
“It can be when feeding is controlled or a child’s emotional needs are not being met,” she said.
Safety and security are not guaranteed in families with addiction, physical or emotional abuse or neglect, she said.
“This can turn into holding comfort items, whether it’s food or other emotional items, to take care of his needs,” says Daigle.
Curiosity and compassion
It’s common for food hoarding to cause shame and alienation, so remember to approach your hoarding loved ones with enthusiasm and non-judgement, says Daigle.
Instead of focusing on how shocking the behavior is, ask about their emotional experience, she adds.
If you see this behavior in yourself, know that there are ways to feel better, says Daigle. The next step is to seek professional help to heal any deep wounds and unmet needs, so you can replace food storage with healthy coping mechanisms, she said.
The professional you work with doesn’t have to be a nutrition coach or someone who shames you about food. Instead, she says, look for a licensed professional with expertise in trauma, eating disorders, OCD, anxiety and compulsive behaviors.
“What matters is how much time and space is this taking up in your life?” Conson said. “If you feel like it’s preventing you from doing the things you enjoy or interfering with your lifestyle, it’s definitely a good idea to seek support.”