When I was young my mom used to call me "basurera" or "pack rat" because I love collecting stuff. She thinks it's all clutter. But as I grew older, I got over it. I realized I can always buy these stuff if I want to, no need to ruin the large empty space I saved for something else. But even so, we may be unaware of this "hoarding" problem that we might have.
To hoard - to amass / to gather / to keep, usually for one's personal collection.
Studies show that 15 million Americans suffer from compulsive hoarding. It is the tendency to over-collect, along with an inability to organize and/or get rid of items. Many of us may not know it, but we might be one of them. How to know if you're a hoarder? Here are some common signs:
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| credits to LA Times |
- You are a compulsive buyer.
- You find it difficult to use spaces in your home for their intended purpose ( dining table, kitchen, living room, etc...)
- You have multiple amounts of the same stuff ( handkerchiefs of the same color, similar beauty items, items for the house of the same style, etc...)
- You always have difficulty looking for an item through your closet or drawer because it is disorganized.
- You feel like your possessions are part of your identity.
- You become anxious and distressed when you or somebody tries to clean out your clutter.
- You have a relative who also has a problem with clutter in their home.
It is a serious problem, but prevention is always better than cure. If you think you might have one of these signs, it's never too late to stop it. Decision making and not becoming attached to your possessions play an important role in helping to prevent yourself in becoming a hoarder. Discipline is all you need. As much as possible, clean up your mess or any unbearable clutter you see in your house. Make your home a safe place to live. Always remember, home is where the heart is (not where the mess is).
10 comments:
i watch the TV show Hoarding Buried Alive at channel TLC.
hi jen! this is really true! actually i always watch hoarders in bio channel. this is really a worse psychological problem. i hope our houses and homes will not become like them.
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I've seen episodes of the reality Tv show hoarders. Grabe talaga sa dami ng kalat halos wala ka na malakaran. Yung iba kasi sobrang na aattach sa mga gamit nila kaya di nila kaya ipamigay o ipagbili.
Thanks God that i am not a haorder:). Nice entry Jen!
i was a hoarder it was hard for me to let go of things.. until i lived with my sister who is a minimalist.. she even hates it when i buy a lot of stuff... haha.. im slowly letting go... but my mom is such a big hoarder.. haha
@ Mom Daughter style: i haven't seen the show "Hoarders" yet but i've known about this problem from "South Park" when they aired an episode about hoarding lol...
@ Hazel: yes it is! scary but true isn't it? glad we don't have this problem.
@ Anney: yeah, some people are even worse. as in parang bodega na ung mga houses nila..
@ Gingersnaps: same here! Thanks Ginger! :)
@ Juicekodai: me too, i'm glad i got over it na. it's harder when it becomes worse.
now that's a really good reminder! well, here's a good technique from the men: think, doubt, think, and doubt again whenever you go to a shop. until magsawa na lang. hehehe
hi sis, i was a pack rat before but things changed when i got married because we needed to be frugal. so, i can't just buy anything that i want now. LOL
@ Manik: thanks for sharing! i appreciate hearing from a guy's point of view :)
@ Meretrisha: same here sis LOL! we're also being frugal so i need to control myself for now hehe...
my God, i can't live with that mess!
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