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

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

[sauropod]

OMG! I had no idea she was gone!!!

[sauropod]

"At least she doesn't hoard cats thank God."

Cough, cough...

[hellinahandcart]

Oh grow up, there's only three of them.

[sauropod]

Or sh*t in the middle of the living room rug ;-).

[hellinahandcart]

You wouldn't find it for years in your living room, so what's the big deal?

[sauropod]

Ouch!

[Senator Pardek]

And a third, trying to explain why she had bought several puppets that she did not want or need from a television shopping channel, spoke of feeling sorry for the toys when no one else bid on them.

Just like the abandoned sheets of unused paper in the fax machine that keep getting covered up by the newer sheets (sniff).

Wait a minute - should I be posting on this thread with all the skeletons in my closet?

[RikaStrom]

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

If books count, then guilty as charged here!

Ditto! And I know of several others with the same book fixation.

Oh jeez, now I've outed myself as a hoarder, a pack-rat, oh the shame, oh the horror.

Although I come by it honestly, I got it from my maternal line! :-)

[sauropod]

I don't know. Should you? ;-).

[cajungirl]

My mom died at 84 after saving years of mayonaise bottles, hundreds of them all clean and ready for "when she needed them". she also hoarded those foil tv dinner trays saying she needed them,,there were hundreds. My husband hoards old journals, he must have every medical journal in his field back to the sixties, thousands. I pester and he will have to read each one prior to junking,,,I am a throw away person, don't even want to save anything. After hubby was out of the service like 20 years, I disposed of his army uniforms and on the same day all his notes from college, back in the fifties and sixties. He was apoplectic. I just think hoarding is incurable.

[humblegunner]

I recoil in disgust at the concept of taking books to a used book store
and trading.. as if I wouldn't re-read them in a year or two!

'Course all the shelves are full and I have a closet full 'o boxes of books....

[RikaStrom]

I recoil if someone tells me to throw them away. I can't do that!

I just buy more bookcases. :-)

[SeaDragon]

Although I come by it honestly, I got it from my maternal line! :-)

Well I am sure that she probably got it the same way.....

[RikaStrom]

I'm sure she did.

LOL

[NYTexan]

Just curious: are you planning a satelite uplink to keep up with Free Republic?

LOL! (just curious!)

[Dec31,1999]

After hubby was out of the service like 20 years, I disposed of his army uniforms and on the same day all his notes from college, back in the fifties and sixties. He was apoplectic. I just think hoarding is incurable.

Especially in these digital "memory hole" days, I would not encourage throwing out important old documents. It's important to distinguish between history and a collection of garbage.

[cajungirl]

Hubby considers his personal history real history. He just gets attached to things and I don't. Peculiar difference.

[Catspaw]

No, probably not, although we've seriously considered it. We'll probably just use pocketmail & cell phone until we get to where we're going & settle in. But at least going down south via the Mississippi & Tenn-Tom will keep us plenty busy for a couple months. I think it's close to 40 locks to go through.

I am contemplating my opus already :-))

[Dec31,1999]

After hubby was out of the service like 20 years, I disposed of his army uniforms and on the same day all his notes from college, back in the fifties and sixties. He was apoplectic. I just think hoarding is incurable.

Especially in these digital "memory hole" days, I would not encourage throwing out important old documents. It's important to distinguish between history and a collection of garbage.

[NYC GOP Chick]

After moving from a fairly large apartment to a significantly smaller (yet more expensive) one a few years ago, I've learned the value of "use it or lose it" and don't hoard much anymore. I do have tons of books that I still have to organize, but I'm very careful about new acquisitions, and ruthlessly throw out things.