The term hoarding applies to the excessive acquisition of “stuff.” At first, an attempt to gain control over one’s life- a kind of defense mechanism which serves to diminish anxiety, feelings of deprivation, and symptoms of depression- it can become a problem in itself.
Although
collecting stuff is an attempt to gain control, the paradox lies in the loss of
control as clothes, furniture, newspapers, books, etc., impair an individual’s
life, usurping living space and interfering with relationships with other people.
The habit is
more common among men and older people and affects 2 to 5% of the
population. Other people in his
vicinity may be more troubled than the hoarder himself. In the extreme form, it
can endanger lives, with hazards from falling, fire, and poor sanitation.
Hoarders are
featured on TV programs- Hoarding: Buried
Alive on TLC and Hoarders on
A&E-and in literary works. The novel, Langley
and Homer (2009) by E. L.
Doctorow is based on the lives of the Collyer brothers. These siblings perished in 1947 under
tons of accumulated possessions and junk.
The problem can
endure a lifetime, severely affecting the afflicted person who finds dealing
with “letting go” more painful than the inconvenience of the encumbrance.
I have seen a
variety in my practice: a hoarder who has gradually changed, enduring the
discomfort of discarding “stuff” during years of insight-oriented therapy, and
another who refuses to part with her “stuff” in spite of the incredible burdens
that result from “stuffing” two rented apartments.
Individuals
change when something motivates them. I don’t mean to diminish the gravity of
the disorder, but to underscore its broad range when I confess that I have been
branded a “borderline hoarder.” The label caused me to think about the matter.
I began to notice the unattractive piles of newspaper articles and magazines on
the surfaces in my bedroom and living room. In my mind’s eye, I visualized
order and open space that seemed preferable to useless stacks of old frayed
newspapers.
Hoarding is an
example of “stuck-ness,” the
opposite of “flow,” by which I mean the process of “taking in” and “letting
go.” The indiscriminate accumulation of “stuff” is the antithesis of Feng shui,
the art of re-arranging one’s living space, often applied to furniture in a
room; the intention is to maximize the energy in our lives.
Conclusion: To
face the behavior of hoarding, the inconveniences or downside must be
experienced as worse than the change and pain involved in letting go of stuff.
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