Hoarding

[Tish29]

I have just plucked up courage to tell my GP about my hoarding issues. It was my 22.year old granddaughter that told me it was a mental health condition, which at first didn't sound right. But thinking about it, I have had this problem for the best part of my life. The thing is I hate parting with things.

It's always been a taboo subject to my sons and daughters, because they don't understand that by not having a good childhood and being the black sheep, is It think, is where this issue started.

It does feel better now that I have admitted it to my GP and that she has referred me to a counsellor, I just hope that the appointment is soon, so I start collecting things that I don't need.

Does anyone else suffer with this?

[orygun66]

I'd say I can relate to this. I first thought I just had a clutter problem and liked to collect things like books. My mom has been the hoarder in the family not me. But this year I have had some serious stressors and I noticed I was shopping excessively and now I have what looks like a hoarders bedroom. The rest of the house is cleaned up by other people but the two rooms that I use are so out of control. I've had to have home health over and I am sure they call me a hoarder. I don't really care. I can only do what I can do. So just know you are not alone.

[Echidna]

It was brave of you to go to your GP and acknowledge that you might have a problem, so well done for taking that first step.

You are far from alone. My mother has a similar compulsion to to acquire and hang on to things. Any suggestion that she might want to jettison one of the pllows, bedsheets, pans, bargain-buy jumpers or magazines - all of them waiting to be "sorted" - that fill her house is met with alarm. After all, they could all come in useful one day.

In her case, she seems to invest objects with emotional security or a promise of possible transformation. "Hmm," she thinks, " I must get this juicer/ moisturiser/ hanging basket of plastic flowers because it will change my life." We all do it to some extent but she then feels panic at the thought of losing them.

Her house is cluttered to a degree that is unwise for an older woman with poor balance and she cannot use two of her bedrooms because there is simply no room for a bed. But in the rest of the property she keeps things on the right side of chaos and she manages on her own terms.

Her children have made the tactical decision to encourage a slow process of recycling rather than to lean on her to make any dramatic changes!

The vital question to ask is whether your hoarding tendencies have a negative impact on your life. Do you feel embarrassed to have people back to visit? Are you unable to enjoy or use the rooms in your own house? Are you spending more than you can afford? If the answer is yes, it would be a good idea to seek help.

Good luck.

[EleanorRose]

I’m not a hoarder myself so haven’t got any words of wisdom to share I am afraid.

I just wanted to reply to say well done, it was a really great step to see and tell your GP. It’s not easy to admit to problems, especially when they have been problems for so long, but you did it and should be proud of yourself. I really hope the counselling works for you - and what a lovely granddaughter you have.

Keep us updated with how you get on. It will no doubt be difficult at first but I am sending you lots of positive thoughts and good wishes.

[hypercat54]

I certainly have a clutter problem but not sure if it crosses the line into hoarding. One of my sisters does however and her landlord told her it is a fire risk and she had to reduce it. I helped her and she did manage to get rid of a lot of stuff though it was hard for her. The trouble is she lives alone and has agoraphobia. Her only highlight in life apart from her TV is ordering stuff online which she does endlessly. It's the thrill of getting the parcels which she likes. I asked her why she had 6 duvets in bags, and 2 bag fulls of shoes she has never or rarely worn. She also had around 50 toilet rolls as she is afraid to run out! Her bedroom is too cluttered to sleep in so she puts up a camp bed in her lounge. It is a lot better now but it won't last. x

[Alliea79]

Ugh. I have been a hoarder slowly getting worse and worse. At first it was pretty much a few things from my younger years that I had happy associations with... even a collection of “spin” magazines and others focused on the music I escaped to

Then, yup books and research papers and work I poured my soul into in college. Then clothes I wore in special and memorable dates with my now husband.

Then it was everything my beautiful daughter wore, touched... anything after the heart I devoted to her adoption.

Soon it became pretty much every piece of clothing I’d ever owned. Sized zero up higher than I’d like to admit. Figuring you never know what size I might bounce back and forth between. And I was finally in a place to buy the styles and brands I’d always dreamed of but my parents (mom) would never even get anything even close to. Everything growing up was used. Someone else’s taste.

We moved last year. It was months of tedious hard back breaking work to empty every inch of the basement and the barely usable bedroom (only the top of the mattress empty/useable).

Thankfully I am also fairly lazy, so I filled dumpsters and donations rather than pack load truck, unload truck, sort, and unpack everything, but trust me... there is still more “stuff” than many people use in an entire lifetime that did get moved here.

And here, it was easier to start over and shop than to unpack and figure out from there.

Soooo here we go again.

Sentimentality. Familiarity. Memories.

So. Many. Things.

Nope. You are not alone. 😳