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Have you heard of the term Bibliomania? It is an obsessive compulsive disorder in people where they impulsively collect books on a whim. In fact, the books that these patients buy are not even referred. They are just bought and then hoarded in their cupboards. In fact, sometimes they end up buying multiple copies of the same book too. Added, the quantity of the books that are collected far exceeds their useful purpose. It is a psychiatric problem and can cause issues with social relationships and physical health.
Causes:
This kind of behavior might begin quite early but it usually does not cause problems till the age of 40. According to some people, this issue could arise as a defense mechanism against a history of trauma or abuses. So, instead of dealing with the problem, people escape from it mentally by hoarding books.
Symptoms:
-Overwhelming desire for obtaining and possessing books.
-Hoarding books which have absolutely no value for the person.
-Collecting several copies of the same title.
-This behavior of collecting books starts to interfere with daily life.
-Depression or anxiety because of constantly worrying about collection.
-Depression arising from stress on personal relationships.
This disorder can become a safety hazard. The stacks of books could become so high that they could risk falling on somebody. Added, there could be pests like rats, termites and cockroaches which could start infesting these books. All the empty space in the room or house could be eaten up by the books and the patient could start stacking them even in kitchens and bathrooms. It could also interfere with normal hygiene and could even lead to sleeping and eating disorders. It could also lead to disruption in personal relationships as people could shut themselves in homes for looking after their collections.
Diagnosis:
When a person suffering from Bibliomania visits mental health doctors, they will be able to diagnose the problems based on the signs, symptoms and history. However, most of the patients do not take medical opinions when they have this problem as they are completely preoccupied with book collection and hoarding. These people will find it difficult to let go of their possessions, whatever be the value. They will have strong urges to save the books and will be anxious about discarding them. Also, this will cause major stress on their social and professional relationships. Incidentally, the problem is not because of any medical condition like brain degeneration and thus can be addressed. If any of your family or friend suffers from this condition, it is good to take medical help.
Treatments for Bibliomania:
As of now, there is no specific treatment for this book collecting disorder, bibliomania. For some patients, counseling and group therapy could prove to be useful. But unfortunately, bibliomania is quite difficult to treat. This is mostly owing to the fact that the patients refuse to recognize the problem.. Thus, they have very little motivation for seeking or continuing treatment.
