McDonald's mania: Disturbing reality behind state of woman's car

A motorist was shocked by the state of a fellow driver's car which was littered with discarded McDonald's packaging on a Victorian road.

The empty drink cups and recognisable brown paper bags were piled high above the passenger seat and spilled over into the backseat of the car. The woman was barely visible from the left side of her car as she tucked into another meal from the fast-food chain.

"It's up to her eyeballs and she's still f**king eating it," Chaz Finnigan Hawkes said in the video he captured.

While the driver was mocked by her fellow motorist on TikTok, the unusual behaviour could point to a broader problem that often accompanies hoarding.

Hoarding can be a telltale sign of a hidden issue

Not everything is as it seems and often when individuals hoard or live in extremely dirty spaces (known as squalor) this can indicate they are suffering from a mental illness that requires assistance.

Hoarding is a common behaviour exhibited by those who have depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit disorder, among other mental disorders. The behaviour within itself is known as hoarding disorder and can be treated by psychologists if it begins to impact an individual's life. It can be a hinderance in many ways, such as perpetuating mental illness as well as causing concern over sanitisation and posing a fire risk.

The individual may not have intended to amass such a number of items, but their illness hinders their ability to get rid of them and tidy their space.

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Hoarding or collecting?

Having a collection of items is perfectly healthy according to Catherine Madigan, who is a Clinical Psychologist at Anxiety Australia, but the behaviour broaches on unhealthy territory when the objects are stored in a disorderly fashion, with this being the key differentiation between collecting and hoarding.

"If you've got a collection of 500 paintings, you've probably got them all stored properly. It's in order on shelves, it's neat and tidy and not being damaged. You're in control," she explained.

"Another person could have 500 paintings but they're all over the house, people could be tripping over them," she continued.

If the space cannot function properly, such as entrances being obstructed or being unable to keep the area clean, this would be considered as hoarding.

"Every person with hoarding disorder is unique and should be treated as such," Ms Madigan said.

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