stittsygirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,664 
Location: In the leaves and rain.
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Post by stittsygirl on Dec 25, 2019 2:29:21 GMT
My great-grandmother was a level-5 hoarder. Paths through her literal mountains of stuff, no running water or working toilet. She was born in the early 1900s and died in the early 80s when I was 11. Visiting her hoarded-out Victorian in Salt Lake City are some of my earliest memories, and I suspect that has a lot to do with the smell. I’m sure it helped lock those memories into my brain.
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Post by MsChiff on Dec 29, 2019 17:50:18 GMT
My grandmother was kind of a hoarder. Not quite what you see on TV but she did have an entire unlivable floor and garage crammed with stuff. I always assumed it was a byproduct of being born during the Great Depression and raising seven kids. The auctioneer we hired to sell off my Dad's estate told us that hoarding is not unusual for depression-era babies. In fact, he wasn't the least bit shocked or appalled by my Dad's stash. My dad had SO. MUCH. STUFF. Mostly in the basement, attic and garage; the garage was a 2.5 car garage and by the time he died, there wasn't even a path to walk through it. I've lived that cartoon as when we'd 'suggest' he divest himself of some of the stuff, he'd say it was our inheritance. After my Mom died, one of us kids would have to visit monthly to discard papers; he never threw away mail and if we didn't clean it out regularly piles would grow. When I would start cleaning out the trash, my Dad would get agitated and have to go take a nap; finally he realized that I wasn't discarding anything of value; just trash. Dad was one of 5 and while they all had hoarding tendencies, 2 of them had wayyyyyyy to much junk accumulated by the time they died. Another one had her massive junk stash sorted and discarded when she had a stroke and ended up in a nursing home for 20 years. It was sad. Personally, I think anyone with hoarding tendencies should move at least every 5 years or so; when you know what a hassle it is to sort and purge crap for a move, you desire to collect less. |
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Post by Linda on Dec 29, 2019 17:58:34 GMT
Personally, I think anyone with hoarding tendencies should move at least every 5 years or so; when you know what a hassle it is to sort and purge crap for a move, you desire to collect less. my mother moved regularly (every year or two) from 1963 (when she moved out of her parents house at age 23) to 1982 and then had one final move in 1988. I fear to imagine what she would have accumulated if she lived all her adult life in one place given how stuffed to the gills the house she lived in for 30 years is. |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,077
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Dec 29, 2019 18:55:05 GMT
My mother was 4 when WW2 broke out. She knew of people who were hoarders, but she put it down to the after-effects of deprivation during the war. All of my and DH's grandparents hoarded certain things. Light bulbs, tights, old Christmas cards, string, food, blankets, slippers and clothes were the top items found when we cleared out their houses after they died or moved into care homes - but that's because they couldn't get those items at formative times of their lives. DH has a cousin who is a hoarder with mental health issues, and an uncle who had hoarding tendencies. It definitely isn't new.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 29, 2019 20:00:06 GMT
This makes me a little nervous. I know I have hoarding tendencies, but the number of the items on that list that I can relate to is a little nerve wracking. Something about seeing it in writing. Keep in mind that it is not a guarantee you will develop into a hoarder, just that you have traits or tendencies that in the right circumstances can lead to it. I think it’s a good sign that you recognize those traits in yourself and are worried about it , especially while it is a bit “easier” to do something about it. Perhaps consider speaking with a mental health professional about your worries. Also, join us on the declutter/organizing threads, lots of encouragement and motivation...no judgement! |
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