Are you a hoarder?

Question

My other half is having a mega sort out of all the junk in our garage at the moment! Likely as not most of it will go back in! Do you hoard and what? Tell the truth now!!

Answer 1

It took me years to figure out why I keep stuff long after I no longer need it or want it. When I was a child, my mother just disposed of anything I hadn't played with since a new toy or game was acquired. She never even had the consideration to ask me if I still wanted that game or that doll. I never realized until only a few years ago that such behavior has the effect of depersonalizing the child as a person with her own will. In my mother's mind, I was no more important than the things I owned. The relationship here is that a "thing" cannot own other "things". Only people own things. I was objectified by her, and I truly don't think she ever realized it, even when it became a sore point between us. Now that I am a fully functional adult, I make that decision! NO ONE ELSE! If I decide to discard something, I try to donate it to a charity, or I give it to someone who can use it. Only if something is broken and unrepairable do I consign it to the landfill. And, I recycle anything that is recyclable. If your other half is struggling with hoarding, show them this answer and ask them it they feel out of control and helpless and indecisive about their stuff. It may take time, but if you allow them to feel in control of their stuff, they will eventually let go and say goodbye to the stuff they no longer need.

Don't do what my mother did. It scarred me for life!

Answer 2

I think there should be a hoarders anonymous group out there for secret hoarders. Most of them don't even realise they're doing it.
I live with my parents so I'm limited with how much I can keep. I always use the excuse that I live in a tiny bedroom so when I get my house, i won't have much to fill it with :-) My room is so small that most of my belongings are up the walls on shelves and squeezed onto shelves in 2 alcoves.
I have 700 books so thats my main hoarding weakness in the sense that I cannot part with them. I also hoard clothes and keep them in the loft, recycling them every year depending on fashions. Instead of going shopping, I'll go up into the loft and have a rummage through there, and everytime I do, I throw out items that won't be worn again.
So books is my hoarding weakness I'd say. Don't make me give them up!!!!! I can't, I won't, I can't!

Answer 3

Yep, unfortunately. I am also a very tidy, clean person so i have to be so ruthless to chuck stuff out.

I keep stupid crap like primary school projects, broken necklaces, old magazines. I'm terrible, i swear i have some sort of hoarding disorder. Even random bits of torn paper cos i think "Hmm, should recycle". Or i keep things like old christmas cracker gifts thinking "ooh that might come in handy". Arrrrrgh!

So my old solution was to stuff everything i didnt need but wanted into a cupboard then everything else looked neat.

Now i clear out EVERYTHING, ruthlessly! But then a week later i find i've thrown out something i need and it starts up again. It's a vicious circle!!

Any advice! Maybe i should think about asking that as my next question!

Thanks for letting me get that out my system!

:)

Answer 4

I definately beleive this to be real and that i imagine it runs in households yet like some ailments it misses a era and then rears its gruesome head back contained in the subsequent. My mum (might want to she relax in peace) develop into the biggest horder I really have ever met. She saved thousands of each little thing and my sister and that i might want to under no circumstances believe the parts of 'stuff' that she had squirreled away. Funnilly adequate both my sister and that i are precisely the different and neither human beings hoard something in any respect. besides the indisputable fact that the draw back to it really is that we do spend time searching for something that we threw away about 5 years in the past. Now then, the hoarding ailment has reared its gruesome head contained in the subsequent era - my sister's daughter hoards fairly each little thing - we call her homestead 'the onion' because there are extra layers in her cabinets than there are on an onion, or,even merely attempting to get to a cabinet contained in the first position. every time you want to get something out of a cabinet at 'the onion' it really is continuously in the back of something it really is in the back of something else it really is in the back of something else. What a nightmare. This turns a truth right into a artwork of artwork. Yep, once a hoarder continuously a hoarder regardless of if the ailment might want to bypass into remission at circumstances, and it really is even as a decluttering experience takes position besides the indisputable fact that the clutter will right away discover its some time previous back. you could tell who the hoarders are because they communicate about decluttering as a wide experience of their lives. I declutter merely about on a daily basis and do not imagine to even element out it. NB - i take advantage of the time period ailment very loosely!!

Answer 5

I do not, I hoard books but thats about it. My boyfriend however will hoard anything, we have old jam fars, boxes, everything he has ever touched he keeps and I have to throw things away one at a time so he doesn't notice! His parents are the same - he still has all of his old clothes and toys from when he was a child (he's now 25) so you can imagine what their house is like!

Answer 6

Yes I am, but it has to stop now. My bedroom is too small for all my junk. My dad is worse. I think it is genetic as my grandma was the same.

However I'm now getting pleasure out of throwing things away because it means more space in my tiny roon.

I mostly hoard book, clothes that I think will fit me when I lose weight, handouts from uni.

Answer 7

Yes, everything! Pieces of string, single screws, bent nails, anything like that. I once kept a thin strip of roofing felt for several years but I recently found a use for it as something for my pet rabbits to get a grip on when climbing a ladder in there two-storey hutch. That's why I keep things, because ONE day you'll have a use for it. It's true!

Answer 8

I have a little problem. I believe it stems from the objects giving me a sense of security. That might make you a little more understanding of your mate's 'problem'. But I did clean out my house. Then I hit a snag, as everything left was still good stuff and I liked it. Next I guess I will pack some things up for storage to clear out the living areas. Please be understanding of us, all you normal people!

Answer 9

OH YES!!! I'm shocking for it. I am slowly training myself to be better but its sooo hard to throw things out. My kids 4 i still have all her baby clothes. I have 6 different mobile phone charges even though i don't have those phones anymore. Just random stuff that may come in handy one day.....

Answer 10

Girly packaging, wrapping paper, envelopes, paper bags, tags. Anything with a glittery, shiny or pink surface. I like art. Usually end up cutting it up and transforming it into a hand made card or new design.