A lot of people are going to rip at this guy for having major issues but honestly he called in, he admits he has a problem and is trying to get where he wants to be in life. I give this guy major props and hope he's able to turn his life around.

I love how you guys didn’t target him for being lazy, but really dug deeper to the root cause. Y’all are amaizng!

Glad he realizes it's an issue and wants to change it, that's a good start

At least he’s acknowledging the problem, so maybe he is ready to start addressing the cause of these symptoms.

I have a relative who is a hoarder. His children went and cleaned the mess against his will. It was back in that state in no time. Very sad.

Good for James stepping outside his comfort zone and reaching out. Takes serious courage to be self-aware and ACT on it

When you take out the trash and instead of throwing the bag in the dumpster, you take it to your storage unit, you're a hoarder.

Dave, I think listening to your show helped him realize he has a problem. You truly are a blessing. Great work Dave!

One of many great movies quotes of all time. "The things you own, end up owning you" Tyler Durden

Before we criticize, he is acknowledging that it is an issue. And truth be told we all hoard to a certain degree, but games and comic books are stigmatized more because they're seen as time wasters and not hobbies. Hoarding becomes a bigger issue when it starts spilling over things on the ground. The stacks get bigger and they start spilling over. The shelf isn't big enough anymore, the closet is full, you need to push the door to the room in order to even get in

The both of them taking the time to read James's letter and offering help will go a long way toward his healing, giving him hope. Because acknowledging the problem is a big step for hoarders. A real big step.

I can speak for many people when I say this, thank you thank you thank you for changing my life. I’m 25 and looking forward to the future now that I understand money and the baby steps 🙏🏼

Dr. John is very intelligent and very well spoken! Wow, amazing person with wonderful and extensive knowledge. Happy and a blessing that he's on the show.

I know adults spend $30-$200 every couple of weeks on games. It's not noticeable because they are digital downloads without packaging materials.

If he’s “hoarding” the right items, he can flip it for a major profit. Save the money living at home and emerge in a couple of years a new man. He’d be ahead of many his age.

I've seen a teachable kind of Dave here, agreeing and respecting Dr. John's perspective, the pro inthis topic

We should have more men like these two. Wow how supportive 👍

Hoarding as a result of growing up in the "depression generation" which Dave refers to, with a few of his real estate purchases, is not the same thing as obsessive collecting. The first is a survival instinct and the latter is to fill a void as Dr. John describes.

At least the caller has amassed items which may have some value. Some hoarders just hoard junk and trash. Maybe he can refine his interest and just specialize in one particular area. He then might be able to sell enough to pay off his debt. As stated he has other problems.

Dave, I always disagree with you about the box with seldom used kitchen items😉 I live ok in Poland, I'm a minimalist and I have that box. Seldom used it's stuff which we use to make birthday cake, christmas cookies. It makes perfect sens. Ask Sharon if you don't belive me🙂

Best definition I read was when the functional use of the house is lost because the possessions/accumulated trash take up entire rooms and block access to areas.

This is more common than you think

I wonder if James lost his dad via divorce from his mom, death, or some other circumstance, or maybe he lost some other important figure in his life.

I have an opinion about the difference between a hoarder and a collector, a collector has items neatly out on display. A hoarder has items as well but usually, they're in boxes stacked to the ceiling or everything is in disarray.

Most can not end an addiction cold turkey but some can . It's common place for a person to make a good effort at the beginning ( maybe under the guidance of a professional) but once a program that is completed and the loss of that structure most return to their bad habits . AA has been one of the better programs because like minds get to work together on the problem. You have support from the group and your sponsor . Not sure if their are support groups for hoarding but more than likely you are not going to be able to do it on your own . The first step is asking for help . The next is touching mind and body . Blaming will always help you to stay in the addiction . Looking at the past should not determine the present and future so put it where it needs to be and that part of your life has ended. Everyone has done form of addiction . It is built into our body with the dopamine affect .

I’m glad Dave asked my question- I collect baseball cards (like going back to 1905- complete sets of 1957, 1959, 1969 Topps, etc) and I have a decent collection of drums. I /could/ sell my collection and make a massive dent in my student loans and/or house. I set a budget per month for buying cards and don’t exceed it because it’s a hobby not a habit. Great distinction to make.

As a collector myself, I Would love to see papa Dave’s gun collection

Getting to the root of the problem here will help him, and also his mom who's house is currently cluttered.

Deloney is a voice of reason. I like him a lot more than the other people on the show

Make moves; start living your life.

My father in law was such a horder he died of lung cancer due to the mold growth on his collections, mostly pizza boxes and papers. We never got an explanation why he wanted to keep that stuff.

The juicy questions are always fr emails whenever they call its the same old questions haha I want to hear this convo

I've been going through a very similar process as the guy that wrote in, I'm a little further down the line though. It's a very hard thing to do, let go of stuff emotionally and all

Sounds like my brother in law...🤣

Thank you I understand.

I collect video games as well. One way to start this process would be to start getting rid of the filler items in your collection. For example, with video games start with the sport games and then go from there.

@6:59 Dave's wheeze 😂😂

Dave should have Hickok45 on the show.

Dave getting free therapy lol 🤣🤣🤣

My son in law is a hoarder. They could probably afford a house, they are living in a trailer park, if he got rid of his stuff.

This is such a such step. Hoarding is a trauma response and becomes an addictive behavior. I hope he gets professional help

Glad he's talking about the shame they tend to carry.

B4 this started, there was an ad for a storage unit!!

I can't be the only one who thought the caller might be Chris Chan

I have a friend from high school who is a hoarder. We are both nearly 40. I offered to help him clean his yard and house at his request. I show up with the largest Uhaul open trailer and my truck at 7am. I am expecting to get right to work with 3-4 trips to the dump that Saturday. By 12, I am done and returned the trailer. It was jusr like the television show Hoarders. He is fighting me over throwing away broken milk crates! He had junk all over his lawn and the smell from his house was pretty bad. I said no thanks and just accepted a wasted day. In the hours there, we filled two contractor sized trash bags. I just set them back in the yard..... its really a sad illness.

I don't understand the hoarding thing. I have a friend who is a collector and getting close to hoarding, but her house is clean and doesn't smell, but I don't understand the hoarding thing. I can get rid of things like that if somebody wants something of mine it's gone. I'm not attachedto anything I feel sorry for those people but hopefully you can get some help and get out of mom's house at 36 years old. It's time.

As long as you are supported by someone and off the taxpayer's dime, that is good. More people should be communal.

This guy is living my dream life

My dad is a hoarder. It’s heartbreaking to watch.

Its a serious issue today, but many people deny their addiction. I mostly tend to see it with gamers.

Dave, have you ever seen the commercia before, during & after your show? $$$$$ 🙄🥴😂🤔😄😳

Figuratively and intensely != literally

I have a hoarding issue. Yes it's hard to let go.

I would have to think that whatever happened to this young man, that was a childhood trauma. He's holding items that you generally begin to enjoy and fall in love with when you are a child. It would make sense that if something happened to him during his childhood he wants to hold on to things that remind him of his previous innocence I'm not a hoarder but I do have some old video games that I keep around because it's nostalgic and reminds me of those years of my life so I can understand where that emotion could come from and if I just picture it inflated times like 50, I could see how this could happen

James sounds like Chris Chan if they went on a better path and realized they needed to grow up.

That 50 grand in collectibles probably worth a fraction what they think

If he has any Neo Geo AES games, I’ll take them off his hands.

Powerful

Living the dream.

John's favorite word is trama.

There's a TV show for you my guy. He needs a psych

I won 200k in the lottery. I spent 100k on partying and 50k on travel. The rest I just wasted

I would like to know whether my wife's behavior qualifies as hoarding. She purchases a very excessive amount of almost anything, especially clothes and footwear. Most will quickly be forgotten. Many will never even be worn. All drawers are full or overfilled, all closet racks are very tight, and all closet shelves are crammed. Much of our excessive luggage is filled with forgotten clothes. No matter how large the home, she will overfill it. Also, she is very disorganized, forgetting where she dumped items and repurchasing them. No horizontal surface is safe from her clutter. Not only is this extremely wasteful, but the clutter causes me stress, especially when trying to clean. There are other troubling aspects to her behavior as well. Could I get any informed opinions?

My uncle moved out when he was 52.

Lol at Dave talking about buying homes from hoarders and avoiding saying they were foreclosed homes.

Plot twist: the 50000 is just one graded base set Pokemon card

depending on the videogames they could go for alot of money.

I dont think he's as much of a hoarder as he is an irresponsible collector. Obviously I dont know but he has a specific thing he is keeping that could be valuable to other collectors, but to be collecting that much above your means is very irresponsible

Hopefully he’s just a compulsive collector and his possessions are a collection he can recoup money from and not just an accumulated hoard that’s worthless.

Just start posting on eBay or stockx.

Childhood trauma the excuse for everything nowadays? How about laziness and enablement!!!

I hope he can sell most of his stuff and pay off his debt.

I'll take that collection off your hands for free..😆

Every now and then someone passed the halfway point in life

35k a year? dang! that's enough to rent a nice trailer and you can bring your games with you!

Dave could work on letting his Co Host finish his sentences....

Is this my brother in law? Oh wait he's 40.

I ''hoard'' books. Mostly unbiased history books. I collect signed books. I buy history and economics books to give away.

Honestly a 50k collection is a drop in the bucket. I expected more from you dude, you're 36!

Sell some videogames my dude. They are sky high in value right now.

There is no simpler life then video games and comics though

man alot of that stuff is worth a fortune and appreciates but yeah it aint worth the clutter

What kind of childhood trauma is most possible?

I think that the idea that we DO NOT take it with Us people need to walk and talk to people sit and have a cup of coffee and care more for people than things.

Hey man if ya reading this comment who ever wrote in. I’ll like to buy some of your collection in bulk for a good deal?

How about being a money hoarder?

36 years old. Thats notning. Im living intil im 40 ag my parents house.

I kinda disagree with John by his logic a guy like Jay leno is hoader not car collector jay leno can't part with his cars does make him hoarder no and his cars don't own him.

Not gonna lie, I’m not a fan of them reading the questions from an email. I prefer the actual person call in…

Good question however I think you guys spoke about the hoarding too much rather than why he still lives at home at 36.

At least if it were Lego sets, he could justify the investment because of long-term returns. But video games only depreciate and comic books take a lifetime to appreciate.

I think the people calling this guy the son-husband are projecting a little bit.

I will say that having 50k in video games, comics and toys is impressive lol. I was actually looking to get into the comic book business at one point as you can make a lot of money.

Father is not mentioned anywhere, now mommy is hurt because her son husband is not behaving...

Dr. John I love your commentary and would have messaged you for this, but there isn’t a way. Your plosives are increasing. Just thought someone shd help with that. Thanks

Delony at his best on this one.

I guarantee he refers to his mom as “mother”. His possessions are the least of his concerns.

4:22

$15k in debt... makes $35K per year... and you are a hoarder. Going $15k in debt for comic books and video games. You can say, he needs to sell everything pay off his debts but I truly believe that would make him miserable. The bottom line is this guy needs to go to therapy but do you notice Dave and everything is about Dave. Going to a pastor is a waist of time IMHO, he needs professional help, not Jesus.

Dude is 36 with mommy...