Hoarding

Has anyone ever seen the show Hoarders?

Very scary isn't it?

Most people who watch that show just can't believe and can't understand how something like that can happen.  It's beyond anything they can comprehend, how people can let it get that far.

Researchers now believe these people have always been hoarders, and that compulsive hoarding is an anxiety disorder that gets worse with time. Frequently, the problem first emerges in childhood or adolescence.

My daughter watches it and sees it as a good sign.  Our home is not that bad.

I watch that show and I am afraid.  I am afraid cause I understand too much, I can see too easily how something like that can happen.

When I walk through my house I see us heading in that direction.  In the two years that we have had our house to ourselves, it is unbelievable the amount of stuff we have accumulated.

I am accumulating but so are my children.  Between the three of us, we have filled this house to overflowing. and even though I know I have to do something about it before it's too late, it's already a mountain.

I know I have heard the advice, just do a little at a time, attack only one room at a time.  It's good and sound advice.  I know I also need help.  Physically there is only so much I can do without pushing things too far and winding up on my back for weeks.  I need the help but honestly I am ashamed of how I let things happen.

So I watch that show and I see myself.  I see the anxiety some of them go through to clean up their act and their house, I see how hard it is, feel it every time I go through my things and try to make myself let stuff go.

I have thought of taking pictures of all those items, saving the pictures on a hard drive and get rid of the stuff.  Burning all the movies unto a hard drive.  All of these are excellent ideas, but they need energy and time, both things that I have little of, I also need a help, but these are not things that people are willing to help me with.  Some people would be willing to help me, for the right price.  Another thing I don;t have enough of.  I have some energy, some time and some money just not enough of each.

Speaking as a hoarder and as an observer of hoarding I can definitely give some explanations of hoarding.  Not a justification for hoarding by any means, just a look into the life of a hoarder.

First, I strongly think there is a genetic component.  I think some people are more prone to becoming hoarders from birth than others.  I have relatives who are prone to hoarding and my children are also prone to it.

Second, speaking for myself and unfortunately for my children as well, there is a component of insecurity attached to hoarding.  We keep stuff "in case of" needing it someday.  Intellectually we know that chances are when we DO need it we will never find it and wind up buying it again, might as well liberate ourselves from it and stop the cluttering, but we just "can't".

Also anxiety and depression have a lot to do with hoarding.  It's easier to let go of stuff and to find the energy to "cleanse and sort" when one is feeling good.  When one is anxious and depressed, one has less energy, less motivation, less overall strength to get rid of stuff and it does get out of hand.

Well thanks for reading

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