Hi Anotherone.

Yes, that sounds like hoarding behavior.
Yes you can get help and change.
Yes, therapy can help.

We are also happy to help here.

It is hard to change the "money story" you tell yourself. Years of being financially insecure can make it really hard to believe it won't happen again.

Changing how you think about yourself is hard too.

I can suggest a small win - you probably only need two pairs of reading glasses - the one you use and a back up. If that seems too extreme, give yourself four - a useful pair and a back up in two locations. There are organizations that collect used glasses to help people who can't afford glasses and need them. They can even use ones that are partly broken by replacing lenses or frames. Maybe try to find a place to donate to one of those and share your bounty of reading glasses? Now, you are no longer someone in need - you are someone who helps people in need!

I guess this all started when I was young and poor. When you work min.wage jobs you keep anything that you think you will use in the future to use when something breaks down. And it works to. Saves you big bucks when you need it but in the meantime it has to be stored somewhere , and next thing you know you have a whole garage or basement or attic filled with this stuff just waiting for its turn to be used. Then its big stuff like refrigerators, extra furniture, tables chairs boxes of nick-nacks and old tax papers and receipts, things you collect over the years. The stuff I hate the worst is the small stuff. You know the pens, markers, bowls, vases, pocket knifes, fans, dollar store stuff, Stuff you don't even know what it is! Or battery covers from things you can't find what it went to. And holiday junk that grows every year. So anyway I moved up to Tractor Trailer driving in the 11 western states and when I was home and not driving truck I would drive a cab so the money was good enough I started making some investments and they did good. After 20 years I retired early at 55, bought a mobile home and 10 years later here I am with all this stuff. My shed is full , my kitchen is over loaded , there is junk under the home and my van is now used for storage. My sweetie for 25 years took control of the living room and 2nd bedroom and 2nd bath so there is 3 clean rooms inside. My bedroom and bath and even the bath tub and closet are so full of boxes of stuff and clothes and , well , you have to use single paths to get around. If something breaks now I can't even remember where the replacement part is so I go buy a new whatever to fix it. It's gotten to overwhelming and I have gotten to old to want to go through everything. But when i do I don't seem to throw anything out ,just move it around. What's really frustrating is putting something down in my room then have to leave and come back and can't find it because I don't remember where I put it down and something has been moved and put on top of it. And I make an even bigger mess looking for it. I feel like Fred Sanford. ( And yes I have a whole drawer full of reading glasses) Can someone like me get help. What do I need , therapy? The thought of strangers coming in and taking or throwing out all my good stuff makes no sense. It's not old newspapers and trash it's good working stuff. How do you guys do it. PLEASE tell me. I'm trying to figure out where to start! Yard sales are a lot of work. Maybe I should start giving things away. I can't seem to think of myself as someone with a little money now. Is that what it is? I'll always be poor in my head?