I live with two brothers who are major hoarders.
My older brother constantly buys new clothes but never throws away his old ones. In the last 6 years, he amassed:
150 T-shirts 50 pairs of pants 40 Hoodies 30 Sports Jerseys 30 Baseball caps 20 drawstring bags and backpacks 15 different types of colognes 10 pairs of shoes 10 bathing suits
In addition to this, his room full of old magazines, newspapers, ticket stubs and other various items, such as paper bags, cups that he is saving that he claims will be worth money someday.
My younger brother is just as bad. He has two closets full of clothes that he inherited from my father and me. He hasn't bought new clothes in almost 20 years. His house is full of old magazines, baseball cards, video games, action figures and other items that he has unsuccessfully been trying to sell on eBay for years.
Throwing away anything is often a traumatic experience for both of my brothers. My older brother once got violently angry when he found out that I threw away some old magazine. On more than one occasion, I've caught my younger brother going through the garbage to take out some personal things I owned and threw away.
What is the best way to confront either of them since they both are very much in denial about their hoarding? Another question I have is...How did the hoarding bug skip me? Personally, I love throwing things away and donating my old clothes to the poor.
|