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The Latest Epidemic Sweeping America **EDITED**
- Feb 25, 2009 at 10:35 AM
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- Comments (26) Total Views (1069) Everyone can see this journal post.
Poll
Question: What do you think would help you escape or overcome this epidemic best?
Total Votes: 122
There
is an epidemic that many of our loved ones have fallen prey to, and
many of us may even be unknowing victims of it. Perhaps you even
recognize that you have been infected by this potentially
health-threatening disease. It has haunted Americans for more than a
decade, and now there are people everywhere rising up to make America
aware of the problem. It goes by many names, but its symptoms and
manifestations are universal. Whether
you call it messiness, business, storage, sentimental keep-saking, or
laziness, it is in short hoarding. Hoarding is the act of stockpiling
in secret. Did you know that there are 2 different names for the
disease of a hoarder? Both of them end with "-phobia", which reveals to
us that the root of hoarding is a fear.
What
instills the fear in someone that stops them from letting go of items?
It can be the fear of not having enough, the fear of being wasteful,
the fear of offending the giver, the fear of losing a memory, the fear
of emptiness, or just about any other reason one comes up with. In my
personal experience, there were three different types of things that I
hoarded. I have listed them and included their definitions:
Rubbish: worthless, unwanted material; nonsense.
Clutter: a state or condition of confusion; to fill or litter with things in a disorderly manner.
Trash: anything worthless or useless; to condemn.
Rubbish
was anything that was silly to keep. It might be the not-so-beautiful
figurine that was a Christmas gift, the sweater that I will never again
fit into but cost a small fortune, the stockpiling of cosmetic supplies
that I would never wear, fifteen of the same (or almost same) picture
drawn and colored by my kids, or items that I might someday use, even
if I hadn't managed to in the last two years. As the definition stated,
having this rubbish around was nonsensical. Clutter was found on
counter tops, in cabinets and drawers, and on shelves. It manifested
itself as paperwork, knick knacks, clothing, and generally anything at
all that I had an overabundance of in my home that added to my stress
and confusion. Trash was both the simplest and the hardest to get rid
of, as doing so admitted how foolish I was to still have it in the
first place. This was the item I was going to fix, the expired coupons
I still had on hand, and things of that nature. Trash used as a verb is
"to condemn"; having that trash, rubbish, and clutter around me made me
feel condemned and liberating myself from it has been amazing!
How
does one vaccinate themselves against this epidemic? Or, more
importantly, how does one treat an already infected life? The symptoms
of a cluttered life extend well beyond a messy home. They include a
chronic lack of punctuality, an inability to rest well, a vast
assortment of emotions that are rather unpleasant to oneself and those
surrounding, financial disaster, weight issues, and suffering
relationships. Now that Oprah is on the ball to organize America with
Peter Walsh, hoarding is becoming more identifiable. Peter's question,
"Does this clutter make my butt look big?" has challenged women
nationwide to examine their lifestyle. His book gives excellent steps
to overcome the epidemic of being a hoarder.
However,
I will venture forward and say that you can go where no one has gone
before and overcome this on your own. You don't need to write into
Oprah, you don't need to hire someone, and you don't need a television
crew to motivate you. You simply need to decide that you are done. Done
with hosting rubbish and trash, done collecting clutter, and done being
the victim of an widespread epidemic. Make the right choices: if you
don't have room for it or don't use it, get rid of it. If you don't
need it, don't buy it. If you need it, but can't identify a place for
it, either toss it or toss something else to make room for it. This is
the beginning of a beautiful journey.
What
is the best vaccination for the disease of hoarding? It is knowing your
value. Understand that you are worth more, that you deserve to live a
simplified life, that you deserve to be free of confusion-causing
clutter, and rift-creating rubbish. Comprehend the truth that you
should be able to be at peace in your home and life, and begin to
create it with empty spaces that were once filled with nonsensical,
clutter-causing things.
***PLEASE take the poll! ***
Follow this and other Musings in my blog.
Comments:
I would like to point out that hoarding is one of the symptoms of OCD, so it may not be just a matter of deciding not to hoard anymore. I have a child that suffers with OCD and hoarding was one of her biggest compulsions. OCD is a brain chemical imbalance which manifests itself into compulsions that are very difficult to control. My daughter used to hoard paper and trash, it was awful and if I threw any of it away she went into hysterics. So I don't really know what to answer in the poll because it could be a medical disorder that is causing someone to hoard. God bless.
luvmybabieskna ... I am asking for adults ... you personally. I actually do know that all of this has neurological connections and we get into that in our workshop series. Neurological studies have shown extensive connections between OCD and clutter, however, there is new evidence that suggests the treatments are OPPOSITE from each other. I am trying to get a feel for how moms on here feel, to help with a paper I am doing, and the workshops I am helping to develop.
Hey There,
I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not a hoarder. LOL.... My children and my husband are, however, serious packrats. I think the children are beginning to let go and realize that they don't have to follow in Daddy's A.D.D. footsteps in this particular area.
I have to agree with luvmybabies, my 16 year old sister has a serious issue with hoarding. Literally 3 rooms and now my mother's shed are filled with only her things. She has more than a hundred different collections. She buys everything that's limited edition and keeps it, including ice cream boxes (she washes them out and hides them from my mother). She sends away for all promotional items (like on the back of kellogg's boxes). She wrote out a list of everything she collects one time and it read like "Anything related to under the sea, anything related to apples or fruit, anything with a BRAND NAME on it, miniature things (this includes travel soaps, shampoos, deodorant), etc. It's sick. She's been in therapy and on medications and refuses to do any of it anymore. My mother has had serious things happen to her in the last few years and is having a hard time just surviving so my sister is pretty much free to do what she wants. She filled up her bedroom, moved on to her "other room", then the family room and our brother's room. She goes to college fairs just to collect all of the brochures and business cards. Sorry so long but I'm trying to get my point across.
I didn't vote either since I don't believe that I'm a hoarder. I tend to go through things at least once a year to pitch or organize. My FIL is a hoarder though... he was one out of 12 children growing up during the depression. So this has a lot to do with why he keeps EVERYTHING!
I didn't vote either...I don't hoard. I've always been the one to help others rid their lives of clutter, trash & rubbish.
An invaluable tool in convincing a hoarder that something is seriously wrong is to take photographs of the clutter and show them to the hoarder, even if that hoarder is you.
ServinGsus, indeed I have done some reading that supports your theory that the treatments for OCD and hoarding are diametrically opposed; in fact, the treatments for agoraphobia (another OCD offshoot) and OCD are markedly dissimilar.
Agoraphobia and hoarding are actually closer to one another than many would surmise. In order to treat my agoraphobia, I had to LEAVE THE HOUSE. A lot. A hoarder needs to THROW THINGS AWAY. A lot.
Best of luck on your research. I agree that it's an epidemic. Perhaps your work can help thousands.
I wouldn't consider myself an exceptional hoarder but Ido have a rather large collection of lotions and makeup i received as gifts as well as journals and crap, I even have this tin full of notes my friends wrote me in jr high and High school!!! It's probably going to get really bad when my son gets old enough to "create" but it's so hard for me to let go of stuff that holds memories!! If I had the time I'd go through it all pick a few of the favorites and make some scrap book pages and chunk the rest but.. I work and have a small child; as a single parent--time is NOT on my side lol
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Meet Dodie702
This Nevada mom of two - who are just 18 months apart! - is married to her high school sweetheart and loves to craft in her free time.
This is very good food for thought and very well written.
- NannyB.
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