Rescripting Harmful Mental Imagery May Help Hoarding Disorder: Study

Psychology researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) examined the impact of imagery rescripting on 176 people.

They aimed to determine whether rescripting negative and future-focused narratives around discarding would help people with hoarding disorder let go of their possessions.

Participants engaged with the study online, focusing their treatment around an item they struggled to let go of.

Four treatments were tested and the study found that the treatment strategy resulted in people who were happier, more motivated, and more likely to discard possessions.

Sabel said that negative memories and fears of future events can manifest in mental images depicting upsetting events such as items rotting in landfills or the disappointment of a loved one.

Participants who dwelt on positive imagery to improve their mood were used as a control group, while those engaged in cognitive restructuring and imaginal exposure were compared with those using imagery rescripting.

Cognitive restructuring requires patients to identify and disregard irrational and damaging thoughts while imaginal exposure involves engaging with anxiety-provoking thoughts to reduce their impact.

"Images can link our past, present, and future," Grisham said.

"Rescripting memories that may have triggered hoarding—going back and meeting those needs—may open up the doorway for greater treatment outcomes and greater positive impact on clients' lives."

People with hoarding disorder can feel a lot of pressure to discard so they can feel stressed and reactive; yet, imagery rescripting demonstrated a reduction in reactivity, she said.

Grisham added that imagery is known to act as an emotional amplifier, enabling engagement with neural features responsible for memory and emotional processing. She said ImRS creates an emotionally evocative and immersive experience.