Hoarding

Hoarding scared me after watching this specific episode “House of Hoarders” of CSI, Las Vegas.  Becoming one compulsive hoarder is linked to compulsive buying or acquisition behavior, and failure to discard a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or limited value. As it mentions in Wikipedia, a collection of DVDs, souvenir items, clothing’s, the purchase of multiple copies of the same things are also characteristics of an obsessive-compulsive disorder involving the collecting or hoarding of things. I read some stories of living with hoarders and that got me really paranoid. Hoarders do like to keep everything, recyclables, rotting produce, newspaper, rubber bands, junk mail, plastic bags, shopping bags, souvenirs, etc. What am I? A hoarder or compulsive buyer or collector? I can’t diagnose myself for sure, but I have to find a way for not becoming one hell of the hoarder.

I found out there are 7 most common self-delusions, which keep us caught in clutter: no time, too awful, too hard, does it later, likes the way it is, not that bad, and one more assertion, I can keep it. Well, I told myself the first and the fourth lies. Judging from Oprah Show and that CSI episode, my condition is far from typical hoarder who is unable to throw things away and clearly I am always willingly to throw most things away and sometimes got blamed for “being irresponsible”. I do my daily chores and occasional clean up in my place, but my main weakness would be getting emotionally attached to things like all the receipts, brochures of the trips. Starting from this year, I try to get rid of some, and sort out what is worth keeping in my so-called home. More importantly, I have to stop buying unnecessary things, bringing freebies home, and giving away some unused things. My other half thinks I am overreacting, but I know I am not.