Hoarding - what causes it?

I get it No need for a desk to place the Computer on.?
Let alone a nice chair to sit on.
Or an Internet provider.Cable or satellite.
How about Closet space and a bathroom.
Sounds like something Dick Powell would say in
a 40's { many furnished rooms } Film Noir flick.

 

Which of course is why Guys { Real men } practically demand a
Junk room.In the least a junk drawer.

 

A schizophrenic friend of mine started to hoard stuff after his mother died. A lot of it was her stuff, and they'd lived in the same house, but at one time he had 27 lawn mowers incomplete and complete.
He also had mice and silverfish.

 

I have access to all that, I just don't need to bring it with me if I need to move around.

If I wanted to I could go out and buy whatever I needed but why spend the money if I don't need to?

 

It's called poverty.

 

Some people attach memories to objects, some have illness, some just love crap around the house and yard. Im the opposite, the less crap around me the better.

 

I think many people have a sub clinicam level of hoarding. My moms house was mostly neat, but sh had an impressive collection of varoius plastic containers. Yogurt, margerine erc. Lots of national geographic and readers digest. Erc

It seems to me that compulsive shopping is also somehow related


Maybe even sex addiction. Is whording what donald trump has been doing?

 

Because Spending Money is virtually an American Pasttime. ?

 

Understand perfectly. I'm a quasi-minimalist, and have the same issues with 'clutter'. I cannot abide an untidy or dirty home. Everything is carefully curated. If it's not a considered piece, and is replacing something to be removed, it doesn't get through the door.

 

I'm asking others what they think, I'm not seeking research papers. I know a bit about it, but wanted to get others' experiences.

 

Unlikely.

 

That's an interesting story, thank you!

If your Gran was my patient, I probably would not have put it down to loss or lack of love, since it continued even to the point of alienating someone who actively loved her. A cursory understanding of the situation suggests to me that she had either learned the habit in childhood (perhaps her own mother was a partial hoarder, or just simply very untidy) or developed the habit early in life, and that the first husband simply kept it in check. Perhaps her fear of him leaving her for someone else, kept her own her toes. Once he was gone, and a much more reliable, safe, tolerant and enabling man came along, she was free to 'be herself'. Hope that all made sense.

 

I don't think so. This is merely a place-holder theory. It's become political incorrect to address these issues head on, so stuff like this is applied for lack of better ideas.

 

BINGO!

You're on the right track here. But lets look at the cause of BOTH 'conditions'. What is the common denominator (of almost all fat people, and almost all people with filthy houses)?

 

I wonder if you're able to see that these are all 'excuses'? We all lose loved ones. We all have precious items we don't want to lose. We're all insecure at some level.

 

Better yet, a shed.

 

Most assuredly it is.It is Irrational behavior based in some
psychological urge that goes unchecked.Most Horders if not
ALL Horders are anti-social.Probably due to the feeling of
guilt over their pathetic living conditions.They know full well that
others would feel uncomfortable,maybe shocked at the deplorable
state of their living quarters.Yet,none of that seems to effect them in a
way that demands change.Change ... is something Horders resist.
Maybe that is their power.They have one last gasp of Power left in
their life.The power to decide how they live.I can understand that.
So it's a powerful psychological tendency.The power to maintain
control over one's life.
It is a mental condition ... no different than Bulimia nervosa.

 

Had she previously done all the cleaning and home management? Was she tidy?

 

Good observations! And I agree .. there is plenty of sub-clinical hoarding going on in the shape of containers, newspapers, mags, etc.

And yes, compulsive acquisition is a common feature of the general 'pathology'. Fits in with the broader impulse control issue.

 

Yes it's a mental condition, obviously. But it's not an 'illness'.

It's poor impulse control, which is a learned behaviour, not an illness.

 

I agree.It is not any " Illness ".Because an Illness is something
picked-up or inherited.Alcoholism may be considered an " Illness ".
However being Gay is Not an illness or acquired.It is learned.
Just like a Serial Killer develops a liking for hurting others.
Usually Pets,or animals then onto humans.

 

What I meant by that is that most hoarders are psychologically 'normal' individuals. They are not suffering from brain injuries, or other neurological defects.

Any neurologically normal child can develop poor impulse control, when such behaviour is modelled by parents or caregivers, and once developed, the behaviour is not policed or modified. Mind you, it won't always appear in the form of hoarding, when modelled by parents. It could be alcohol abuse, obesity, gambling, shopping, poor temper control, poor focus/concentration, overt physical or mental laziness, or any other impulsive/compulsive behaviour.

 

Again I tend to agree.From watching the TV show - Horders - it
seems that Horders act pretty normal except for their living quarters.
They are not physical or threatening.If anything they may appear too
laid back and carefree.But there is no psychosis that conveys that.
Except maybe Women Serial Killers who are rare and seem to
plot out their psychosis as if Black Widow spiders.They may appear to
be very laid-back as well.Instead of self-harm they find targets for
release.

 

Lack of self-control over their greedy, disgusting, selfish, gluttonous, lazy, slothy impulses and being completely content with being utterly mediocre at everything in life

 

Right on, Righteous.