Is there a psychological cause for pack-rats? Or is it just sheer laziness?

Answer 1

There are different theories on this behavior.

One is that it is a survival mechanism built into societies --for societies to survive, they must be made up of different types of people who form different roles..some are conservative, some are risk takers--some save things so that there are supplies and bits and pieces of all sorts of things that might come in handy. Some are nurturers and some are defenders, willing to go to war, etc.

So pack rats would just fit into that scheme of things as being one kind of person who fills a role in society building.

A psychological model looks at this behavior --when it becomes problematic, of course, as a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. Extreme cases are known as hoarding (of items) and animal hoarding (of collecting live animals as pets --hence the the "cat lady" phenomenon.

Answer 2

In many cases being a collector or pack rat is the result of some kind of situation in childhood in which the person either had little and had to keep those things they had a long time, or they lived in a situation in which they were constantly having to share with siblings. In one the idea is that you never know when you might need the thing again, regardless of how trivial it is. In the other it becomes a matter of possession, this is mine and always will be. Usually people either realize how futile it is to keep old mail or other useless items, but sometimes they just can't get away from the idea that anything can be useless. As they reached maturity the habit was so ingrained that it became almost a neurosis, most of the time it is quite harmless, and indeed profitable (saving that Babe Ruth rookie card for example.) When taken to extreme, it becomes a way to relive the past, because the life one has now is too painful, or too difficult to face. It is far more common than most people realize.

Answer 3

It can't be laziness, because it takes a tremendous amount of unnecessary effort to accomplish the normal tasks of life if you're wading through clutter.

There is actually a biological cause for the extreme version (and probably the entire continuum) called "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" or OCD. Docs are getting better at treating it. Very often, psychological problems arise in the wake of coping with these physical problems (tho the psychological ultimately has a physical brain manifestation.)

I don't have a 'pack rat' house, but I have some traits you'll see in those - I save lots of momentos - I have almost every letter written to me, newspapers from important dates, concert tickets. I do box them up and store them. When my father recently died unexpectedly, those saved letters were a treasure trove.

I find it hard to throw items with a useful lifespan away. I believe I'll need them one day, but often can't find the item when I do need it and typically throw such things away only days before I need them. This works to make it harder to throw things away.

There is a yahoo group called Freecycle through which one can pass on these useful but unwanted items. This is a very helpful tool.

The only psychological component I see is that I moved around frequently as a child because of my father's Navy career. Home was where daddy hung his hat, was the saying, but a kid's possessions traveling wtih her could make it seem even more like home - especially those momentos of all the friends loved and too quickly left behind.

Answer 4

my mom is a pack rat i don't know the actual scientific term for that affliction but i can honestly say my mom is not lazy she is convinced that one day she will find a use for two hundred thousand elastic bands or three million coat hangers or maybe one day someone will run over to her house and say Tina Tina do you have the news paper from 1965 and she will save the day,i think for my mom she has had alot of material loss in her life and she wants to keep everything no matter how meaningless,if i had to guess being a pack rat is a form of being a total control freak,my mom also has a tendency of micro managing the smallest most meaningless details while everything around her is piling up i really don't know why that is but i hope its not hereditary

Answer 5

I consider the above solutions, and picture someone is mostly a %. rat who comes from an economically challenged history. once finally shelter, or grows up and doesnt ought to remember on father and mom, and starts searching after themselves; has this emotional scar. They recognize what its favor to "do without" and psychologically make sure that by no ability occurs back. Its a way of protecting issues for a moist day if want be.

Answer 6

USNews.com: Health: In Brief: Mental Health: Compulsive hoarding
... Asthma Alternative Medicine Alzheimer's Disease Arthritis Beauty and Most pack rats I know in the past grew up poor or in the depression and are afraid a need might occur and they will be with out it.
Hoard Hoarding Hoarder
Hoarding, Cluttering and Disposophobia Issues
APPEARENTLY YES:-)

Answer 7

Yes, there can be. But I can tell you that the biggest 'pack rat' I know is my aunt. She had four 44 gallon trash bags filled with empty whipped topping containers. She not only lived through the great depression, but struggled to raise her kids and my sister and I on a middle class income. She has scrimped and saved her whole life and it is now an ingrained behavior.

Answer 8

Here is the psychological cause... Pack rats are that way because they feel they are not receiving enough love in their lives. Collecting and saving objects and things is their way of giving to themselves what they feel they are not getting from others. In their subconscious mind, material possessions are synomous with "love".

Answer 9

In my case, being a pack rat enables me to feel that I will be prepared for any situation that comes my way. Need bells twisted on pipecleaner bracelets? Got it covered. Need doilies for a party? Got it covered. It is not laziness, but a control issue.

Answer 10

Psychological, maybe. Lazy, most likely. For sure it is hereditary. My grandmother was a pack-rat, my mother is one, I am one, my daughter is one and now my two year old granddaughter is putting her toys in nice safe places.