Perhaps because of the popular A&E documentary series “Hoarders,” more and more people have grown aware of the problem of hoarding in recent years. Though nearly everyone can point to at least one person in their life who never seems to throw anything away, when such behavior becomes compulsive, chances are the person perpetrating the behavior is a hoarder.

While it can be difficult to determine if you or someone you know has crossed the line from pack rat to hoarder, there are certain indicators that can help make that determination.

* The love of acquisition. According to Randy Frost, Ph.D., Israel Professor of psychology at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., hoarders genuinely love to acquire things, regardless of how valuable, or invaluable, the acquisition may be. All objects are treasured, be it free items or items that had to be purchased. What’s more, the items kept often appear inconsequential to outside observers, such as old magazines or newspapers that mention nothing about the hoarder or anyone they know.

* Living spaces that make it difficult to function. A telltale sign of a hoarder is when living or work spaces are cluttered to the point where those spaces cannot function as they’re intended. Examples include a dining room table that cannot be used for dining because it’s cluttered with other materials or a desk that’s covered in non work-related items that make it impossible to get any work done.

* Relationship trouble resulting from “collections.” Hoarders’ compulsive behavior often makes things difficult on their loved ones. As a result, relationships often suffer. Hoarders’ “collections” of items can grow so large that they can no longer have guests over to visit. Partners often grow distressed at such situations, and relationship problems are common.

According to the Mayo Clinic.com, an online medical resource that utilizes a team of medical experts to provide useful and up-to-date information on a host of medical issues, additional symptoms of hoarding may include:

* Perfectionism

* Difficulty organizing items

* Limited or no social interactions

* Inability to discard items

* Moving items from one pile to another, never discarding anything

* Difficulty managing daily activities, including decision-making

Hoarding can be mild or severe, and mild hoarding might have little impact on a person’s life. However, severe cases of hoarding can have a daily, negative impact on an individual’s life.

Oftentimes, hoarding begins when an individual finds it difficult to discard items. Such issues usually surface during a person’s teenage years, and as the individuals ages, he or she begins to acquire things with little meaning.

If you or anyone you know might have a problem with hoarding, consult a doctor or mental health provider immediately.