Compulsive Hoarders

Just watching a programme on compulsive hoarders it’s horrible this is a serious mental illness.

How on earth do people get like this they are obviously so distressed and uncomfortable.

Most of it is just rubbish .

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

I think it is a form of security having things around them that they have collected. Doesn't really matter what it is as long as considered theirs.
My sister is a bit of one still living in the house my parents bought way back in the 1930's . The furniture has collapsed well I won't go into too many details except our parents would be horrified at the state of the place. She never clears up the dishes until she wants one ,when we went around there you could not see the kitchen work top.
Needless to say I am ashamed of the way she is living but can't interfer. the house is as was back then and needs loads of cash to modernise it

So I do have some idea about hoarders

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

I have to admit I find it quite difficult to throw out anything that "might come in handy" and I don't think I'm alone.

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

You should see my workshop area. I rarely throw things out. for example the other dayIi was having a root around and came across a set of car spark plug gap feeler guages. None of the MM rubbish but good old imperial measure , only problem was they had rusted away so fell apart when I tried to open them.
Even got a bucket of dads old heavy engineering spanners rusting away which I must throw out thinking about it. everything from a couple of alarm movement sensors
and wiring (from the kennels we had) to I discovered an old car battery charger which may/may not work. A camping gas small stove is also packed away and a couple of gas bottles for it (the blue round type with a handle). really like a minature Steptoes yard indoors

All may be useful at some time in the future

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

People usually behave like this when they have at some point in their lives lost everything. They see it as some sort of insurance against disaster. Not so strange given what we are going through!

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

These were serious hoarders pile hundreds of thousands of newspapers piles and plies of dirty paper plates .
One woman’s place was a bio hazard and had to be mucked out by the unfortunate council workers with shovels .

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

The sad thing is that this current crisis will lead to an increase in such behaviour in the younger generation.

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

The best idea is not to buy things you don't really need in the first places then there would be no reason to hoard...

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

I am a bit of a hoarder, but it's mostly tools and stuff, I have tools from job's I did years ago, I no longer do that work, but the tools were expensive and people want to give you peanuts for them, so I won't sell.Then there's stuff that I like to 'rehome', someone may be throwing out say an electric drill that works, I'll take it and pass it on at some point to someone who needs one, I often get offered stuff and am obliged to take it, Someone has a clear out and is throwing lets say an old radio, so they offer it to me, 'because he might want it', trouble is, if I refuse, they don't offer me anything else, I've misssed out on some really good stuff because of this.
Also I have started collecting stuff recently from years ago, I have a collection, of old Avo meters, I used to use these years ago, I have also aqquired, two electric drills, identical to the first one's I ever had, recently I've been getting hold of a number of Kango breakers, they don't make them anymore, people get rid when they break, they really have only one common fault, and it's an easy fix, so I repair them.
A mate of mine works for a multinational company who are currently getting rid of a lot of their old equipment and he's partly in charge, it costs money for skips so it's better for them if they can avoid putting stuff in them, so they let him bring stuff to me, recently he turned up with over a grands worth of kit that was being scrapped, and it was all useful, I have two sheds that are full, a loft, a large cupboard, and my office (spare bedroom).
The trouble with me is that I struggled to afford a lot of this kit when I was younger, so I can't bear to see any of it thrown away now. sad isn't it!

Re: Compulsive Hoarders

Why, Annie? Not being contentious - just curious.