To OMGWhoamI?

Thanks for posting that article and your story. I am trying to get deeper into why I have (had) so much stuff. I also am realizing that many members of my family probably are hoarders or have OCD. The things that I collect are mostly related to my art supplies. I used to be an art teacher, so I have probably tried most types of arts and crafts. At one point, I did sell my wares. I don't think I even broke even, but I always thought that I would "make it big." I thought that I was investing thousands of dollars into a business. Ha, you know how that turned out. Yes, I was one day in my little sewing room and I realized that I had stuff stacked to the ceiling. I found a bag of craft supplies that I had lost. I didn't have enough room to sew or use the room. I couldn't just throw away "good stuff." Looking at the article, I see some of the hoarder things DO apply to me.

*Rooms and fixtures in the home too cluttered to be used for their intended purpose.

*Profound difficulty deciding what to keep and what to discard.

*An unrealistic perception of the intrinsic value of one's belongings.

*A cognitive disconnect or skewed perception of reality, not unlike that of a person with anorexia.

*Deriving a sense of security and happiness from one's clutter.

*Choosing "stuff" over the people who care for them.

Okay, all of them applied to me. ALL. I would keep cardboard, tp tubes, pieces of plastic, boxes, and all kinds of glass jars to use for my "crafts." I was too busy reorganizing my stuff to have people over. In reality, I could never find anything when I needed it. Never. I was constantly searching through my stuff.

The good news is there is hope. I am doing the Marie Kondo method of "Keep it if it gives you a spark of joy." No, I really don't feel a spark of joy when I handle a crushed toilet paper tube. I was able to toss all that. The hoards of paper and "good" stuff that I have is getting thinned out. I really do want to use it, so I put it all in bins. Now, I am picking out what I want to put back. I am loving my space SO much that I am very careful in what I put back. It has taken me about two months full time to get this far.

Find help if you need it. On these boards, I am learning a lot about where to donate things or how to get rid of them. Once you experience the rush of letting go and start to see progress, it feels great. Seeing it is the first step. I really just thought I was being frugal. (I upcycle. No, it was hoarding.)

Sending you good thoughts

I agree mostly with CriticalMass. But I'd like to throw in my thoughts also. I believe I started out as an excessive clutterer. I have read that there is also the "collector." I was the "collector," the shopaholic, aquiring things by the tons of boxes and packages being delivered from online and TV shopping. Although "hoarders" are usually defined as people who can't let go of anything, I kind of tend to challenge that to an extent. The things I started collecting are neat and organized in China cabinets, on walls, and in display cases or on shelves. But that behavior quickly turned to compulsive buying of household stuff, more clothes, more shoes, more everything. Those things started out as stacked boxes which became "clutter." I now know that a "hoarder" is not always like those you see on TV, living in squalor, animal feces, dead whatever's laying around. But I can tell you that I am crossing over the line of being a clutterer and collector to fast approaching being a "hoarder." And I do NOT have strong emotional attachments to my stuff. I do, however, have trouble letting go of things I think I "might need in the future!" As a result, my clutter piles have taken over almost every room in my house! So even though I don't live in squalor, call it "clean junk" if you must (lol), I believe that it is very easy to cross the line from being a clutterer to a "hoarder." My situation has become so huge and overwhelming that I cry all the time and don't even know where to begin. But if someone came in here and started stuffing things in bags and boxes, I would not fight them on anything except my collectibles now. The stress of having to clean this (years and years of accumulating stuff) is not worth hanging onto just about anything anymore. Keep in mind that there is now confirmed proof that hoarders have a brain chemical imbalance also. I personally have Adult ADHD. But I've now owned up to the fact that I crossed over the "cluttering" line into the "hoarding" territory. Now I'm just trying to find a way to start somewhere! Below is just an excerpt I took from an article. As I said, I don't have a strong attachment so I will disagree that you need ALL these behaviors to be a hoarder. But if your clutter is now interfering with your everyday living and well-being, then you may also be "on the fence." But that's why we are all here....to understand, be compassionate, and try to help each other.

Here's the excerpt:

Clutter is in the eye of the beholder. Every home has some degree of clutter, whether it is knick-knacks on a shelf, books, papers, or hobby materials. Most people are able to keep their clutter under control. In homes with serious hoarding, however, there tends to be one or more rooms that cannot be used for their intended purpose because they are so heavily cluttered. This is a sign that intervention may be needed.

Hoarding: What it looks like

Hoarding is a pattern of excessive acquisition of objects in one's living space. It is a form of mental illness, not limited to physical or mental stamina.

Signs that it's more than just clutter:

Rooms and fixtures in the home too cluttered to be used for their intended purpose.

Profound difficulty deciding what to keep and what to discard.

An unrealistic perception of the intrinsic value of one's belongings.

A cognitive disconnect or skewed perception of reality, not unlike that of a person with anorexia.

Deriving a sense of security and happiness from one's clutter.

Choosing "stuff" over the people who care for them.

It's hard to define exactly where the line falls, and at the end of the day it may not matter except in the most extreme of cases. You say that you don't have the attachment issue - that's a bonus for you because it will make the decision-making process way easier.

That being said, clutter that accumulates from old habits of not cleaning often enough, or not having enough time to keep up, or life suddenly getting freaky busy for a length of time which leads to a sudden logjam, is still a bear to deal with. How much depends on your resources for dealing with it. Time, money (to hire help, or rent a truck or whatever) - not having enough of such resources can hinder the decluttering greatly. Also your own health and strength comes into play.

So if you are okay in the emotional and decision making department, I would suggest making a list of your tasks and goals, breaking it into steps, and assessing your resources for dealing with the steps and then figure out where you want to start. Good luck! :)

what would you like to change in the way you are living now?

Dear friends,

I'm finally starting to tackle the concept that I'm either a hoarder or excessive clutterer. How do I know what type of help to look for? I don't have a personal attachment to my clutter necessarily. I am just overwhelmed.

Thanks,
Lee