It is ethically difficult when it comes to dealing with diagnosed patients, for many of them deny their poor conditions and refuse to accept treatment. ( September 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. People with this disorder tend to have significant functional problems correlated with morbidity and mortality. The frontal lobes are of particular interest, because they are known to be involved in higher order cognitive processes, such as reasoning, decision-making and conflict monitoring.ĭiogenes syndrome tends to occur among the elderly. Individuals who have had damage to the brain, particularly the frontal lobe, may be at more risk to developing the syndrome. Individuals with Diogenes syndrome generally display signs of collectionism, hoarding, or compulsive disorder. The direct relation of the patients' personalities to the syndrome is unclear, though the similarities in character suggest potential avenues for investigation. Secondary DS is related to mental disorders. Personality traits that can be seen frequently in patients diagnosed with Diogenes syndrome are aggressiveness, stubbornness, suspicion of others, unpredictable mood swings, emotional instability and deformed perception of reality. Most individuals with the syndrome do not get identified until they face this stage of collapse, due to their predilection to refuse help from others. The severe neglect that they bring on themselves usually results in physical collapse or mental breakdown. This indicates the Diogenes syndrome does not exclusively affect those experiencing poverty or those who had traumatic childhood experiences.

Half of the patients were of higher intelligence level. Research showed that some of the participants with the condition had solid family backgrounds as well as successful professional lives. In contrast, there have also been cases where the hoarded objects were arranged in a methodical manner, which may suggest a cause other than brain damage.Īlthough most patients have been observed to come from homes with poor conditions, and many had been faced with poverty for a long period of time, these similarities are not considered a definite cause to the syndrome. These symptoms suggest damage to the prefrontal areas of the brain, due to its relation to decision making. In most instances, patients were observed to have an abnormal possessiveness and patterns of compilation in a disordered manner. The time span in which the syndrome develops is undefined, though it is most accurately distinguished as a reaction to stress that occurs late in life. It has been shown that the syndrome is caused as a reaction to stress that was experienced by the patient. In addition, the syndrome is characterized by domestic squalor, syllogomania, social alienation, and refusal of help. Presentation ĭiogenes syndrome is a disorder that involves hoarding of rubbish and severe self-neglect. Frontal lobe impairment may play a part in the causation (Orrell et al., 1989). Other possible terms are senile breakdown, Plyushkin's Syndrome (after the Gogol character), social breakdown and senile squalor syndrome. Therefore, this eponym is considered to be a misnomer. Not only did he not hoard, but he actually sought human company by venturing daily to the Agora. The name derives from Diogenes of Sinope, an ancient Greek philosopher, a Cynic and an ultimate minimalist, who allegedly lived in a large jar in Athens. The condition was first recognized in 1966 and designated Diogenes syndrome by Clark et al. Affected people may also display symptoms of catatonia. Diogenes syndrome, also known as senile squalor syndrome, is a disorder characterized by extreme self-neglect, domestic squalor, social withdrawal, apathy, compulsive hoarding of garbage or animals, and a lack of shame.