So Much Clutter, So Little Room: Examining the Roots of Hoarding

The New York Times ^ | Sunday, January 4, 2004 | NINA BERNSTEIN

[CajunConservative]

What's the cure?

I don't know if you are familiar with the flylady, but her system works well for a lot of people who need simple routines that allow habits to be formed while not overwhelming them. It's kind of weird how once you clear the external clutter, the internal clutter starts to clear up too.

[Libertina]

LOL I looked briefly at the site and thought the design a bit "cluttered."

[in the Arena]

LOL...now that's funny...

[meowmeow]

I love Flylady! Found her a couple years ago and she changed our life forever. Years ago I bought an ~800 sq ft home in Northern VA, thinking I could settle down and be the crazy cat lady (ok, I only had two cats) with all my stuff. Then my brother moved in for a few years, so one room of stuff had to go. Then he left and I actually got married at 37 so here comes new husband and his 40 years of stuff. Most people would buy a bigger house. We - with help of flylady - started dumping. The place is still small, but perfect for us. It is peaceful, uncluttered, and we could afford to live here even if one of us could not work. And we are very careful about what we buy. Nothing new comes in unless something old goes out!

Hoarding is a wide spread problem and while some of it is a mental problem, some of it is culture - the culture of stuff. How much stuff do you really need? How much of your wealth is lost to purchasing stuff every year? How much longer will you have to work past your retirement age because you have squandered money on stuff? Like I said, Flylady changed our life. I recommend her to everyone.

[CajunConservative]

Yes it's a bit cluttered but what works are the email reminders, how to's and support system.

[JoeSchem]

Interesting article. Wonder if any FReeper might have a hoarding problem...uhhh...

My book accumulation mania has gotten sooo bad that I've considered getting a scanner and CD burner and scanning everything onto disk. With GIF compression, each page file would be about 100 K, and a 600 Meg CD would hold 6000 pages. At 300 pages per book, that would be 20 books per CD. I could fit my entire book collection, currently filling a storage unit at $70/month, into a single cardboard box!

[tiamat]

Flylady bump!

And thanks!

Tia

[hellinahandcart]

One woman, for example, found throwing out a newspaper so unbearable that her therapist instructed her never to buy one again.
(snip)
Finally, the psychologist said, "throwing something away makes them feel unsafe." The sense of security and comfort that most people feel in the familiar surroundings of home, hoarders may feel only when hemmed in by a nest of debris.

Cough!...cough!cough!

[CajunConservative]

Yes, It must be a mental thing. In my neighbor's case, they have very little money and she is helping break the family financially by her continual buying, as well as destroying any semblance or normal life. Her husband is an enabler, I'm afraid. He won't do anything about it.

Some people get a rush just like druggies do when they buy something. It's also like a false sense of security for them. Nothing will change until she or her husband hits the bottom. Hopefully, she will see the light before something drastic has to be done.

My client's husband finally put his foot down when they were faced with child protective services possibly getting involved. He decided his child meant more than enabling her habit. It took her longer to get it though, but she did finally get it.

[hellinahandcart]

OOPS. Sorry, Trout Stalker, I meant to direct that coughing fit at someone else...

[tgslTakoma]

I went away from this thread for the day to do some paying work... and all the while I was thinking about all the junk I've accumulated during my 12 year stay at this house. When I got home from work I went up into the attic and just started "parting with" stuff. My attic looks a whole lot better, I broke a nail, and the trashmen are gonna hate me.

And now I can justify parking my behind and "resting" at the computer for a bit.

P.S. I tossed (without a pang of guilt) a bunch of body parts for an Isuzu Trooper. Jaguar parts are probably worth more than Isuzu stuff.
:-)

[tgslTakoma]

I think you're right about older folks saving things that may have some use left in them. The depression probably made a lot of folks more resourceful than we are now. Dad and mom both grew up during the depression, mom in the country and dad in the city (DC and Philly). Dad remembers putting newspapers in the toes of somebody elses wornout shoes so they'd fit him and help keep his feet warm. He drove a delivery truck in Philly when he was 11 to help feed the family. Mom's small town memories were of growing their food and making their clothes. Both remembered their mothers saying that they "weren't hungry" at suppertime, so their kids would have food on their plates.

I learned a lot from both of them, and I miss them.

[Walkingfeather]

IT only takes a spark to get a fire going.... ( old church camp song)

[sauropod]

And your point is...?

[sauropod]

So, where's my ticket?

[hellinahandcart]

Ticket?

[hellinahandcart]

I got two for paradise, is that what you mean? :D

[sauropod]

Yep. I know somebody that has that, er, affliction.

[hellinahandcart]

Piles of paper don't purr and cuddle.

[sauropod]

Sounds like my folks.

You comin' to CPAC?