Conversation: The conversation between human and AI assistant.
[|Human|] I have a friend whose mother hoards but is also displaying some different types of behaviors. I am just trying to find out if some of these behaviors are also common amongst people who hoard. One of the recent complaints that my friend has expressed is that once his mother gets an idea in her head about something there is no convincng her otherwise. He expressed that she told his sister that she had hid some money in her basement and is now unable to find it. She is convinced that he has gone into her home and taken the money since he has a set of keys to her home. The hoardind she does would make it impossible for anyone to enter the home and go into the basement to find the money without literally removing item by item just to get in and move around. A second incident has occurred where again she gets an idea in her head and no one or nothing can convince her otherwise. Almost like a paranoia
[|AI|]  Hello gemini671 thanks for your questionHoarding is one of important symptoms of Obsessive compulsive disorder in a significant stratum of population, compulsive hoarding is very anxiety provoking to patient as well as to caregivers. It is characterized by inability to discard items and individuals suffering from hoarding tend to store the items and they even some times do not let others know this, due to fear of embarrassment. It is a part of OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SPECTRUM disorder. Mostly the patients of hoarding also show other features of OC disorder like orderliness, cleanness, magical thinking, compulsive handwashing, obsession of doubt etc. In more than 50% of cases depression is also associated. And in a few cases paranoid ideation may be seen as your friend is observing in his mother. It may be persecutors delusion against anyone or sometimes other delusional ideas like she is having. Her fixed firm belief about money is part of associated psychotic symptoms. In rare cases of Psychosis hoarding or obsessions or compulsions may be presenting symptoms thank frank delusions alone. Best thing to resolve it is first try to reassure her, once she is ready to talk then try to give her evidence to contrary and see whether her belief is still fixed? If she is a little sharable and ready to accept that she might be wrong then further strengthen the evidence. If that's not possible then take advise of some good psychiatrist for further management of her psychotic symptoms thanks, all the best hope I solved your query kindly rate