Many of us operate under the illusion that possessions
enhance our lives. But often the opposite proves true: With their need for
space and maintenance, our things can take control and rule us.
Regarded in the past as a rare oddity, today cluttering and its extreme form of hoarding are
acknowledged to be a fairly common disease. Proof that it has become part of
our pop culture is found in books like Stuff:
Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things and television programs like “Confessions: Animal Hoarding” and
“Hoarding: Buried Alive.”
Cluttering differs from collecting things like art, stamps,
and coins. This disciplined process includes the goal to build and add value, often
with a social function that increases an individual’s sense of accomplishment,
identity and pride.
By contrast, indiscriminate accumulation serves little
purpose (beyond supporting the consumerism of our capitalist society) and often
shames the individual, who, in turn, may withdraw from society. The added
burden of credit card debt adds stress that affects a person’s health and may
even lead to death.
According to a 2013 Huffington
Post survey, 84% of people worry about clutter in the home, which increases
the stress hormone cortisol to affect the body, mind and mood.
Given the implications of damage to our health, introducing
the concept of the risk-benefit analysis, a common consideration in medical
practice, can be helpful to think of when shopping.
For example, before she learned its price, Ms. B. had
decided to buy a uniquely designed gold mesh purse. A short while later, she
had second thoughts. She realized she had impulsively succumbed to a whim and
didn’t need a fancy purse that she couldn’t afford and wouldn’t use often. In
terms of risk-benefit analysis, the risks far outweighed the benefit.
The dynamics underlying cluttering and hoarding are diverse;
theories abound across the disciplines from psychodynamic psychology to
genetics. Labels range from obsessive-compulsive disorder to addiction. A March
2017 article in The Atlantic links
autism with the addictions, including shopping. In the final analysis, author
Maia Szalavitz concludes that an individual needs to seek out the particular
treatment that works for him or her.
From personal experience I can say that hundreds of
thousands of dollars are spent on years of psychotherapy to deal with the
(presenting problem of the) excess accumulation of “things” that diverts many
from a genuine sense of fulfillment.
The motivation behind Mr. L. ‘s compulsion to hoard stemmed
from a deprived childhood. His mother habitually gave away his extra toys to
needy children without asking him. He struggled to gain control over his
compulsion to rummage through thrift shops and purchase miscellaneous objects
that cluttered his home and alienated him from friends.
Ms. W. has worked for years on her problem and has made
progress in recognizing the underlying drive to control her life through the
accumulation of extra shoes, sweaters, dresses, etc. Finally she recognized
that her behavior resulted in loss of
control of her living space and finances and freedom to travel. Gradually she was able to stop buying,
get out of debt and dispose of some of her “stuff.”
Perhaps it is fair to acknowledge our human nature, the need
originating as far back as cavemen days, to protect ourselves from the
unknown, fears of famine and
exposure to the elements. Indeed the accumulation of things provides the
illusion of safety. On the other hand, we have to guard against going overboard
with our fears.
Conclusion: For many of us, the tendency to accumulate
doesn’t disappear completely but requires surveillance and is best incorporated
into our activities of daily living like eating a well-balanced diet and
exercising.
Dear Reader, I look forward to your comments.
jsimon145@gmail.com
