There is a level of anxiety of not having something you need when you need it. The thought of having to run out to buy something you need in the moment you need it brings a vision of finding yourself distracted at the store, buying other things and wasting time running out to buy the item you ran out to buy in the first place. It’s very stressful to not have what I need when I need it. It is possible to run out of room to put things, the stress of throwing things away to make room for new things. The other point of anxiety is fear of throwing something away and regretting it later. “Oh why did I throw that coat or sweater away?” I remember going crazy trying to figure out where I put the thing after I threw it away. The fear of having to spend money to replace something creates anxiety for me. It’s the “what if I need it?” Issue.

I live in a rural area in Canada. We have to save things. We cant just go to the store and buy another. That makes decisions to keep or get rid of difficult. Minimalism is for the wealthy.

Covid got me to stop getting rid of things. After income loss, price gouging, scarcity, supply chain issues and the waits, learned my lesson to stop throwing out or giving away things. Because learned multiple times, I needed the things gotten rid of , later.

I went to a hoarder therapy session in SF, the other hoarders were facinated by my hoard and got all excited about my items, boats, cars, art.Did not help me to not be a hoarder at all

My mom was a hoarder. Trail from front door to back door. Made a neatfreak out of me!

I've told friends I think I'm a hoarder "lite" (I think this is true, from what i know about it, but it's not the term). This video was actually quite helpful. I see exactly what I'm doing (not doing). I'm on the autism spectrum, I get focused on some interest and it is very deep, and then I lose interest and go on to the next thing, but without evaluating whether these things are still what I want to have. I have never realized this before. I have had success working with a personal coach who I am accountable to, but I think I really needed this info here!

I have become a hoarder because I have heart failure and stage 4 breast cancer. I can no longer jump in my car and drive somewhere to get something I need. My home is now over 35 years old and it requires a lot of upkeep which requires a lot of tools. The treatments for my cancer and other illnesses can make me gain or lose weight so I have 3 sizes of clothes for 2 seasons. And then there is the problem of having enough food on hand as I have to pay to have food delivered and the delivery charges can sometimes be larger than the purchase prices. So I hoard. I wish I could say I keep all the stuff I need neatly stored but that takes a lot of energy I don't have. I suspect a lot of seniors, and people with physical challenges, have the same problem.

I'm a tool and woodworking hoarder. I keep buying but never use the tools and at my age I should know better. My 3 car garage if full and something has to stop. I'm 76 and why do I keep buying all these woodworking stuff. Since covid started is when I thought buy it now before I can't get it. Now 3 years later I have it all. Now I should sell it all.

Best video on clutter and hoarding. Thankyou for really understanding how life circumstances can overwhelm to make decisions. Sometimes we are I a life a death battle just to survive. We don't need condemnation.

This has been the most succinct description of what hoarding is.

Elaine Birchall has a session online every Wednesday that is free and helpful. That should have been put in the description so people could have that support. Thanks to her for her compassion and expertise.💕. These are also available as recordings on her website.

Creative people have a hard time clearing their creative aspirations.

1. Could be that a person recognizes that things are out of hand, yet has no energy to deal or skill to deal with it 2) I can imagine someone doing stuff in the bed due to depression 3)

Mom grew up broke, got access to cash when she was older. Now she holds onto everything thinking stuff like what if the world ends, they dont make things as good of quality anymore, i couldn't possibly get rid of this. Honestly that's where i think a hanfull of people come from. Though her sisters were both diagnosed bipolar and severe depression so she has a bit of genetics against her. Me i can tell im VERY clingy to items and love shopping but watching my mom from the inside makes me determined to not go down that road. I have a number of each item i can own like shirts, pants, plates, pits/pans, etc.

I’m an organized hoarder. I was shocked they spoke about that. Many ppl don’t see hoarding when they see my place because it’s so well decorated but there is a surplus of certain things due to difficulty making keep or discard decisions. For me it’s mostly paper & digital clutter. But also clothes I can’t fit it. The little things add up. If other ppl were dealing with my clutter they might not find it distressful but I do. I can days & days organizing it so that it appears less cluttered and different items replace the former… lots of churning… it’s a mental health issue combined with executive functioning issues (ADHD in my case).

I'd be interested in the connection between alcoholics and clutter or hoarding tendencies.

My hoarder older sister used to live in our parents' house. All she did was spreading her hoardings to 80% of the house areas. It was hell to get rid of her massive hoardings when she simply moved out while demanding that her hoardings should be kept. I still have huge resentments to this woman.

And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covereousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15 . .my go to scripture to keep out clutter.

Very clear and helpful.

I love buying Knick knacks but once it’s baught it’s just clutter . I am trying to cut down the visual clutter

This is very helpful. Thank you!

I was just scrolling and was shocked. I wondered how a photo of my shop got online!! If I could leave a photo if I could. 😂 looks like your photo.

There's a lot more hysteria about hoarding than there was 20 years ago, but there's more anxiety about almost everything than there was.

Thank you for this🎉

Awesome and informative!!!!

I wonder how being on the spectrum affects the chances that you will become a hoarder.

I knew this lady whose daughter constantly complained of her hoarding, but it was the first place she ran to when she had a project.

09:00 You scared me there for a minute. When you talked about four toasters. I only have 2 toasters. Two slices each. One for my house in town and one for my countryside property. I hope I'm going to be all right but you did have me worried LOL not.

Look up Dana K White. She's very helpful in getting someone to start decluttering their home when you don't know how to begin.

I was expecting a video on the topic - is there a link I missed? She talks about a video she made but no link.

I know of a woman her house is infested with mice. Some got into a drawer full of clothes she took out 1 blouse and said I want to mend these clothes. Mice are coming out from the ceiling into a light fixture. Her stove refrigerator microwave food shelves and cupboards all mice infested. She was making cookies opened up a package of dates sliced them open only to find cream colored worms she scooped them out with a small knife cut up the dates and made cookies. She treats her husband like crap. Married 40+ years he is so beat down.....she is a narc in my opinion

My landlady is battling this problem in secret. She doesnt know I know, but one night she was away, her cat was crying to be let out, and I saw her room 😢. I get the fear of not having something you may need, but the reality of her living space now, is much more real than any of the fears 😮💔😪 She has gone out of her way to hide it, so I will keep her secret and have patience as much as possible.

Stop denying your problems, That is the FIRST step to getting free from your "neuroses". I have collected my broken cigarette-lighters just for spare parts(i have actually used them to repair others) but it is really Contra Intuitive and Contra productive at the same time because it is much more easy to buy a new one than to keep broken lighters in a drawer, Right?. I saved empty pill charts for like 2 years because i actually wanted to do an "Art piece" out of it, like a view of the passing of time(but mostly Life) when i glued empty Ritalin charts in a sculpture of sorts. The latter was an actually good idea when it comes to use of such things, but i later just threw them away because i got better ideas. But here is the difference, if you KNOW what you can do with your hoarded stuff it's ok, but if you just think so but can't really explain it in a logical way you are controlled by the Neurotic compulsive idea factory instead of yourself, and when it feels BAD to throw away something just analyze it in your head logically and try to find out if THIS object is hard to throw because of a compulsion/"neurosis" or if it is actually worth when you prioritize what you want to do and what stuff that could get in the way, or for that matter TAKE UP space that you can use for the "Real" things... I have generalized Anxiety disorder, ADHD, Dysthymia, Seasonal affective disorder and a bit of OCD so i know this behaviour REALLY well, and i can just say that it is MUCH more connected to Anxiety/Sentimentality than just PURE OCD because there is no structure in the sorting as such but rather just for the moment, but much more abstract than not.

If you're going to hoard, you have to store things properly, so bugs or other parasites and pests don't infest. This goes for clothes, yarn, food, and be careful of wet or damp items that can become moldy...... please please keep things clean and stored properly.

Hmmmm, I wonder whether preppers are hoarders as well ........ 🤔

OH My I am/was doomed to hoard. Mother and two half sisters full on filthy house hoarders. Unless it is considered house plants a hoard. I have had them since the 70's. Yah I am older than dirt. I am easily able to let go of things. since hubby died 7 years ago I have let my house plants get bigger and when so many others got on the bandwagon of house plants during the lockdowns more varieties have become available. BUT My house is clean I have my art supplies sorted and stored nicely. My garage is a sore spot because I am into so many odd ball building projects I am forever dragging tools out. BUT I do use up my stash of saved items for projects. I also have a local thrift store and I always keep a box going to take the usable things to. I hate filth. I just want everything organized and sorted so I can consistently find things. My memory is not what it used to be. LOL great podcast here. Thanks!

My whole house looks like the picture. Every time I turn around my partner is bringing a new box into my house.

I think a lot of videos on u tube are cruel and one size fits all. Im going through mu fabric stash right now as im listening to this video.

I buy things on Amazon and other sights watch and wait for there delivery . It comes and know what is in the box put the box in the stacks and never open it. If its something I think I will need to do the work I have to get it.I buy a lot of stuff. I know it has to stop but hate to sell items for less than what I paid for it. I also hate dealing with people that want to steal it rather than buy it. And sit waiting for someone and they never show up. I would rather give it to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

That’s it. I’m literally going to fill as many garbage bags and boxes as I can and taking it to the dump! I’m never going to inflict the the trauma and pain my hoarding mom put on our family. She hoarded things and cats. She had almost 40 cats!!! She was torched to find homes for all but two in two weeks time or she’d be evicted. Thank god for pet sanctuaries!!! My dad was tidy, punctual and ex military. She was never on time, kept them in debt with her spending and collected cats! When he had a mental breakdown over it she left him and got a divorce. He killed himself less than a year later. Hoarders are more than messy junk collectors. They make you feel like you don’t matter and you slowly become dead inside. No coddling for hoarders!

clutter is organized, hoard is unorganized