The Meaning of Things/ A Risk-Benefit Analysis

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