Insights on hoarding?

[Matthew Shea]

I was just reading this article regarding a woman who recently made national news after the junk in her car caused a collision and am at a loss to understand the dynamics of such a condition. What on earth would cause someone to hoard to such an extent? Has anyone had personal experience with this? I'd be very curious to hear people's insights.

[ferociousgoals]

I did a lot of research on this for a book, and this is the best site on the internet about it:
Squalor Survivors

It's the stories of recovered hoarders, what led them down that path, and how they got better, along with articles about squalor conditions. Plus pictures!

I have much more sympathy for these people now--it's not laziness or character failings, it's the outward expression of serious mental issues.

Also, they reference David Allen and GTD several times.

[ChrisCountryGirl]

I've always thought that people who hoard stuff in their home suffer from type of mental health issue. I just don't understand what they're trying to accomplish by hoarding all the stuff they buy or recieve as gifts.

[ferociousgoals]

They aren't actually gathering stuff, it's that they can't bear to let anything go, frequently due to the deep decision paralysis that comes with major depression. Then, because there is so much stuff, they can't find things and purchase new ones. There are people who found, when they finally got help and cleaned up, that they had a dozen brooms or ten tool kits or other such small things. It builds on itself

Most of the stories I've read start with one traumatic incident (like a major medical crisis or the death of a loved one) that knocks the person into depression and they withdraw from others. A few months of not cleaning or tossing anything is enough to make the project of cleaning up seem nearly impossible to someone who is in a bad space. Then they start hiding it, which makes it worse, and start keeping their garbage so the neighbors won't see how much there is. They feel acute shame and fear that they'll be found out, even if the depression lifts, so they continue to hide (which of course keeps the mess going).

Complicated and tragic.

[taylor2]

it is under obbesive/complusive disorder.the hoarding thing.they can take medication to improve.taylor2

[dor]

I know that one of the survivors of the Essex disaster hoarded food the rest of his life...but I guess i can understand that.

[persephonevii]

My mother is a big time hoarder. Even the idea of throwing out rotten food angers her. Of course, to avoid her hoarding getting too big, we forcibly throw out stuff. Sometimes if we throw it out, she will pillage through the bin to get it back. It's a pretty pathetic way to live.

Anyway, I know my mother's hoarding stems from the extreme poverty she experienced as a child and every time her family got their hands on anything, they would use it very carefully or store it away under the mentality 'you never know when you might need it'. Now that might of worked under those conditions then, but my mother who is now much richer and surrounded by an abundance of goods still can't seem to let go.

[neuronicone]

Hello everyone!

I am happy to be part on this forum. And certainly, Ill be able to pick up a lot of good insights. and share what i have known before.

[daisylover26]

It's not something I can relate to AT ALL, but my mother is a hoarder. I still haven't exactly pinpointed why. In her case, she will buy things she doesn't need or have room for because "they were such a good deal". Or she won't get rid of things she doesn't use because "there's nothing wrong with it". And, she has a problem when it comes to quantity; one of something is never enough. She'll have food go bad just because she buys so much it's impossible to use it all up before it expires (and I'm talking even canned goods which last a while ) She pays a big house payment so she can have a place for all her junk. I've tried explaining to her that she wouldn't need such a big house if she'd get rid of some stuff! But, she will gladly part with things when they are going to someone she personally knows that is in need of the items. For instance, she had three vacuum cleaners and was happy to give one to my uncle when he needed one. She is a person that needs to feel useful to others, so maybe that is the biggest reason behind her hoarding; she's kind of like a free store to people and that makes her feel good.

She grew up in a large family and though they were never poor and never went hungry, I think they had some tough times. She also went through broke spells being married to my dad and has said that did impact her when it comes to hanging on to things because at various points in her life, she would not have had the money to rebuy something if she needed it. Now, this isn't an issue, but old habits and mentalities die hard, I guess.

But, then there are some of her hoarding habits that I just cannot figure at all. She has decorating magazines from the 80's that she refuses to trash! She claims that "one of these days" she is going to get around to reading all her magazines. I guess maybe by that time 80's home decor will be fashionable again

I do feel sorry for people who hoard, but as someone who is only too happy to part with things, it is frustrating as hell to deal with.

[volleyballgranny]

I am a hoarder...to a point. Through experience, I have found that I ALWAYS need something 6 weeks after I've thrown it away. I have many, many interests, talents, and hobbies. I can't afford to throw things away and buy new when the bug hits me again and I want to make a ceramic dish or design an album page. I have been able to get my computers going when they break (because I don't throw away the working parts) and make quilts out of discarded clothing. Our ancestors lived this life through necessity and I think that we waste a lot of our resources in what I see as a disposable society.

I will admit that I was greatly influenced by older relatives who were adults during the last Great Depression, and by my parents (who reared 5 children without credit cards). But, I have researched hoarding and it IS a mental disorder. So, if you worry about a family member, please follow the link in ferouciousgoals's post and do a little research.

The upside of being PREPARED, as I call it, is that when people need something, they know where to come--and they do. I have to say here that I have always been one to be prepared. It is only lately that I can feel it becoming a compulsion. I can't help it, every time Obama makes a promise about the economy, I feel the doom settle down and I go spend hundreds of dollars on food and supplies.

We were very well prepared for Hurricane Ike and it was barely a hiccup in our lives--food? Plenty. Water? Plenty. Electricity? Who needs it--we have propane lanterns and stoves. My friends and I played dominoes or cards and had a 9 day party. Hoarding...uh, being prepared...isn't all bad!

[Eric Roosevelt]

Originally Posted by volleyballgranny

We were very well prepared for Hurricane Ike and it was barely a hiccup in our lives--food? Plenty. Water? Plenty. Electricity? Who needs it--we have propane lanterns and stoves. My friends and I played dominoes or cards and had a 9 day party. Hoarding...uh, being prepared...isn't all bad!

I was going to bring that up. I think "hoarding" is probably just an instinct to secure material wealth, passed down through natural selection. It may seem a bit abnormal, but I'm sure it has a function, both today and in the past. Especially in the past. I can imagine that early societies with very limited wealth could benefit a lot from hoarding. This is just a guess, but I'm pretty sure it's true.

And today everything that's a bit out of the ordinary gets diagnosed as a "mental disorder", when in the past we would probably just call it "eccentric".