Talk:Hoarding

The Hoarding page needs a reorganisation with better sub headings. It is way too broad and also way too specific. Links and disambiguation needed to plyushkin page and to collecting. Tehre is so much that needs to be done and redone I don't know where to start. (78.146.202.89 (talk) 14:59, 7 February 2010 (UTC))

Merge

Should merge with Billboard (advertising). No need for two differently named articles. Since I'm American and prefer American spellings, I'll be gracious and propose Hoarding for the merged result. --Uncle Ed 20:43, 19 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Certainly a merge would work – however, it seems Wikipedia blocks pages with 'advertising' in the title (and thus such links); will a redirect, then, help any? Sinuhe 20:51, 19 Feb 2004 (UTC) (Sorry, I forgot that I set up my browser to do that; it is all right in Wikipedia!)

Disambiguation

Hoarding might be better as a disambiguation page because of the many meanings. I'm not sure yet what the exact titles should be for each of the different kinds of hoarding. --Intelligentsia 19:42, 25 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Having just come from browsing http://www.childrenofhoarders.com/ it's obvious this article is missing a whole subject area. -71.49.163.77 16:19, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Hoarding

I don't think having 1000-2000 mp3s on an mp3 player counts as hoarding. It doesn't clutter up the player at all, its simply a convenience issue ... Ppe42 11:43, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm inclined to agree. Having a personal copy of a file from the Internet isn't hoarding as much as it is having a local, secure copy readily accessible. Every time a file is loaded remotely, it consumes bandwidth and time, so instead of downloading a song every time one wishes to listen to it, it makes infinitely more sense to have a local copy. Back in junior high, my school's systems administrator made a similar mistake; rather than install a program to every computer, he instead placed a single copy on the network. It quickly overwhelmed the network, rendering the computer labs unusable and effectively derailing the teachers' lesson plans.

So yeah, please consider rewriting that. ~ Eidako 21:13, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Well hoarding does count if the person beleives that the item being saved is due to "run out" some time soon or they never have a use for it. storing 1000-2000 songs is "hoarding" is you are never going to listen to them or only once every five years when you clean out your file system - and only listen to if becasue you didn't name it properly. A lot of people I know compulsively download software, files, music etc and never ever do any thing with them. they just "hoard" them for a rainy day or something that to me is the definition of hoarding if you go to the shop and buy food to last a week thats normal if you consume the food each week if you buy two weeks worth of food each week and don't use one weeks worth each week - "just in case" then you are a hoarder..just like a chipmunk hoarders always have a "just in case" mind set... they collect things that are not valuable or rare or unusual "just in case" one day they might be. but like chipmunks they serve a useful purpose - without which we probably wouldn't have oak forests - hoarders don't have perfect memories ;-)

also commercial hoarding DOES NOT increase the relative long term value of anything in a free society - if the price goes up because of diminished supply other players find ways to produce that supply or find an alternate product that does the same thing. A classic example is the Hunt brothers who 20-30 years ago tried to corner the world silver market. - they went broke trying. people produced more silver in response to increased prices and others who couldn't afford the new inflated silver price chose to use alternate chemicals or metals - which in turn reduced the silver price and left the Hunt brothers with expensive silver they couldn't sell. Its a stupid communist idea that you can "corner the market" so I propose a change to this last section...

Savings

Difference from savings? Whats the difference between hoarding and savings in the economic sense, or should they be reported as explicitly the same thing? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.132.197.86 (talk) 16:59, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Hoarding Paper

Not So Valuable Collectibles “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” Pawn shops, thrift stores, and garage sales seem to be a frequently known place where the public can find “useless junk” and miscellaneous objects. But a location where they usually don’t think of is a person’s home. A select number of people obtain numerous amounts of books, papers, magazines, figurines, and countless other items to collect. These people are classified as hoarders. As hoarders accumulate items over a number of years, piles begin to form. These piles grow and eventually begin to take over the hoarder’s living space. This addiction can adversely alter hoarders’ lives in many ways. Hoarders can be affected mentally, socially, and physically, but treatment is possible. Some people don’t know when hoarding becomes an issue. Some symptoms of hoarding include bounded social contact and interaction, perfectionism, decision making disabilities, procrastination, lack of organization, movement of items without disposing of them, collection of useless items, and an overwhelming and muddled living environment (http://understanding_ocd.tripod.com/hoarding.html). Although hoarding can be considered as a warning sign of OCD, it still can cause much distress on those suffering from this disorder. Often times hoarding is linked to many sentimental attachments to varying items, and is not necessarily limited to having poor decision making abilities, lacking organizational skills, or feeling responsible for the item. Many people become attached to items from their childhood and this causes them to feel as though they must keep the item for the rest of their lives because of the good times had with the items, or fond memories linked to the object. A common misconception amongst hoarders is that if they get rid of an item, they are also discarding a part of themselves. In my interview with an actual hoarder, Jackie Wilcox, I learned that she hoarded because her father rarely came around after her parent’s divorce. Thus Jackie kept every item that she associated with him-whether he personally gave it to her or not. Her mother was also a hoarder, so at her mother’s passing, Jackie’s hoarding problem actually doubled in size. She found herself “buried alive” with belongings that had accumulated over the years. When people have poor decision making abilities, they act upon urges within their own minds to keep objects, no matter how trivial they may seem. They fear they will make the wrong decision; they, or someone they know, may need that item in the future. . Questions that plague hoarders include: “What if I could use this item some day?” or “What is the harm in hanging on to just this one extra thing?” Often times they cannot find the answer on their own; they end up keeping items. Once an item is saved, hoarders are not capable of getting rid of any items without intervention. Yet another problem facing hoarders is the inability to know where to store and how to categorize certain things, and the owner takes on the mentality of, “If I place this in sight I’ll be able to find it when I need it again.” This quickly leads to stacks of papers, and layers upon layers of “junk” piled up on any available surface in a house. This self-proclaimed “organization” looks like chaos in others’ eyes. Many times it is even difficult for the hoarder to determine where anything is. The piles have all blended together. Hoarders sometimes feel responsible to keep an item so that in the event a need for it comes to fruition, they will be able to have it and use it and not waste it just by getting rid of it, or throwing it away. People who hoard items usually don’t throw those items away. Instead they may recycle or give-away these belongings if they happen to remember that they have the item or can even find it. Often times women who suffer from hoarding will have an enormous purse containing many “just-in-case” items such as taking a whole medicine cabinet with them when they run quick errands like going to the grocery store. This type of “responsibility” is often seen by others as simple paranoia, and most assuredly as a hoarding problem. Hoarders suffer from a need to control the functional use of items. They feel that if they throw an item away or give away the item to someone else, they have lost control of the item; they fear that the item will not be used properly, or it will be thrown by the wayside in a manner the hoarder had not intended. They also suffer from the irrational fear of forgetting how something looked, or the content which it had before they got rid of it; therefore, they feel the need to keep it just in case they want to look at it again someday. This is linked back to the issue in which they become sentimentally attached to unnecessary items. Some hoarders are known as “dumpster-divers” in which they are found searching through the garbage making sure someone didn’t throw out anything which may eventually have a use or be needed by someone for some reason. They take home all of the “free stuff” found at garage sales. The final attachment issue associated with hoarding is the fear of letting go, the fear that throwing away something as simple as a candy wrapper will not allow them to go back in time to when they got that piece of candy. They fear that these items have become their identity, and that by getting rid of the item, they will no longer have an identity. This stems back to their poor decision-making skills and the inability to say, “Enough is enough. I’m done letting these small pieces of history rule me and be who I am.” Often times, people suffering from this particular part of the disorder save newspaper articles and clippings from important dates in history, forgetting that they can easily use the library to look up this information if needed. Hoarders believe that history will fall into the dark abyss along with all of the other forgotten things. The above topics and afflictions are merely only a glimpse into the psyche of the hoarder. There are many more extrapolations that can be done on each subject, and still there is the social aspect and the physical issues, but these only describe the disorder, and not why it is considered a disorder by the psychology community. Many of the above affectations are linked to each other, and inevitably they all can be traced to one root source…emotionally driven behaviors. The social effects of hoarding are often very difficult for the hoarder to deal with, as family and friends stop visiting. Friends look at the mess and wonder, “How can my friend not care about himself or herself?” The hoarder has alienated himself/herself from those who care…isolated by their own mess. This isolation leads to more detachment issues, which leads to an even worse compulsion. Family members who live under the same roof as the hoarder are affected in ways that are very similar to the hoarder. They are subject to the dust, mold, mildew, and a variety of pests that thrive in the unsanitary conditions. Often times a hoarder’s house is limited to just a few walkways throughout the home, and the rest of the floor space is covered with layers upon layers of junk, posing a tripping hazard for all those living in the home. The stacks of junk create a strain on the floor , breaking down the structural soundness of the building. Stacks of junk block door-ways and access to fire extinguishers and exits create a very dangerous situation in the event of a fire. The piles of junk provide fuel to the fire thus increasing the possibility of serious harm or death to hoarders…all because they can’t throw things away. Research done by the International OCD Foundation has shown that:

“Clutter is one of the biggest contributors to family tension with regards to homes of hoarders. The loss of or elimination of functional living space as the result of clutter is one of the biggest bones of contention for families who live with hoarders. Having functional living space means that you are able to use your furniture, appliances, countertops, etc., in their intended manner. Living spaces filled with clutter are not functional. As clutter develops and is maintained, it becomes impossible to remove the accumulated dust from the spaces affected, primarily because people are not able to vacuum or dust their homes, sometimes for years. Additionally, the spilling of liquids, such as, soda, juice and water are often not cleaned up and cause mildew or fungus. Combined with the high levels of dust being inhaled, this mildew and fungus can significantly complicate the health of the family of the compulsive hoarder” (http://www.ocfoundation.info/hoarding/effects-family-society/how-compulsive-hoarding-affects-families.php).

The children of hoarders suffer as they become too self conscious of their living situation and often shut out friends. Fugen Neziroglu, a PhD, ABBP of the Bio-Behavioral Institute states, “Children are often too embarrassed to have friends come over, or are not allowed to because of the hoarder's embarrassment. This often leads to increased social isolation and resentment of the hoarder. Spouses often consider divorce or separation because of the extreme impairment in functioning,” (http://www.ocfoundation.info/hoarding/effects-family-society/how-compulsive-hoarding-affects-families.php). These instances are very harmful to the psyche of the afflicted children, and often times the children grow up with strong resentment for those with whom they grew up. There are many different ways to treat the disorder; often times the treatments are relatively simple steps. First of all, there are prescriptions called SRI’s that help relieve the anxiety caused by making decisions. In a story done by WFTV in Orlando, Florida on the subject of hoarding they discovered, “Hoarders have less activity in the area of the brain known as the cingulated cortex -- the region responsible for making decisions,” (http://www.wftv.com/health/13323210/detail.html). Another way in which the disease can be altered is by an intervention in which the hoarder must be willing to accept help. Often times, this may cause violent or dangerous behaviors if gone about in the wrong way. When initiating an intervention the family member must accept the hoarders condition and be willing to help them and be very patient with them as compulsive hoarding cannot be cured over night. Also the hoarding can be stopped simply by a family member talking to the hoarder and helping them figure out better ways to store and/or dispose of all of their stuff. The University of California at San Diego Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Clinic explicated that hoarders are the way they are because of many different reasons, including but not limited to problems with information processing, beliefs about possessions, social insecurity, and emotional distress about discarding items. “Information processing - Individuals have difficulty categorizing their possessions and making decisions. They may struggle to decide what is valuable and what is not. They may struggle to decide what to do with possessions. They may avoid making decisions. Beliefs about possessions - Compulsive hoarders often feel a strong sense of emotional attachment toward possessions. They may feel the need to stay in control of their possessions. Social insecurity - Hoarders may think of objects as a security blanket and associate possessions with love not found from people. They may fear others will obtain their personal information. Emotional distress about discarding- Compulsive hoarders can often feel anxious or upset when they have to discard things. They may feel distress if they can't immediately acquire an object they want.” (http://www.wftv.com/health/13323210/detail.html). When initiating an intervention, there are many things that the instigator needs to take into account such as; “Respect the meaning and attachment to possessions, remain calm and factual, yet be caring and supportive; evaluate the individual's home for safety; work with other agencies to provide adequate medical and mental health evaluation; expect gradual changes, as compulsive hoarding cannot be cured overnight,” says the UCSD Center for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. (http://www.wftv.com/health/13323210/detail.html). One must be willing to do whatever it takes in order to make the transition from hoarder to a normal, functioning member of society. According to the Hartford Hospital, “Compulsive hoarding is a common and potentially disabling problem, characterized by the accumulation of excessive clutter to the point that parts of one's home can no longer be used for their intended purpose. Compulsive hoarding, which may affect up to 2 million people in the United States, is often found in patients with other diseases, including dementia, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and anorexia. It's most often seen in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).” (http://www.harthosp.org/instituteofliving/anxietydisorderscenter/compulsivehoarding/default.aspx). This research shows there is no “cure” for compulsive hoarding; however, there are steps that can be taken to make things much easier for families and hoarders alike. According to the Hartford Hospital, compulsive hoarding is related to other compulsive disorders such as “impulse control disorders (such as impulsive buying or stealing), depression, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, and certain personality traits.” Though there is no definite cure for a hoarding disorder, all of my findings have shown that certain options can lessen the effects of the disorder on a person’s life. First, there is an intervention; second, there is medication; and third, there is cognitive behavior therapy. In reference to their website, they state, “Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of counseling that goes beyond "just talking". In this form of treatment, the therapist often visits the person's home and helps them learn how to make decisions and think clearly about their possessions. There have not been as many studies of this kind of treatment; therefore, it's hard to say with certainty how effective it is for hoarding. However, the available evidence suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective for many people with compulsive hoarding, perhaps more so than medications.” (http://www.harthosp.org/instituteofliving/anxietydisorderscenter/compulsivehoarding/default.aspx) The Mayo Clinic describes the medicine Paroxetine (Paxil) as being proven to lessen the anxiety felt by hoarders, but it is definitely not a clear and absolute cure. The Mayo Clinic also suggests psychotherapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy which uses techniques such as, “ Exploring why you feel compelled to hoard, learning to organize or categorize possessions to help you determine which ones to discard, improving your decision making skills, de-cluttering your home during in-home visits by a therapist or professional organizer, learning and practicing relaxation skills, attending family or group therapy, being encouraged to consider psychiatric hospitalization if your hoarding is severe, and having periodic visits or ongoing treatment to keep up on healthy habits.” (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hoarding/ds00966/dsection=treatments-and-drugs) Above all else the hoarder needs to be able to recognize the problems at hand, the health issues, the physical limitations placed upon them by their hoarding, and the mental issues which the disorder has placed upon them. Hoarders must be willing to cooperate and get themselves help, and they must be willing to change their life drastically to make life better for themselves. Without these things, there is no way they can be helped. Though there is no absolute cure through using the techniques laid out by UCSD, the Mayo Clinic, and the Hartford Hospital, hoarders may be able to make a complete turn around and kick the disorder. It is estimated that up to 2 million people in the United States suffer from this disorder, and with intervention, hoarders can overcome this weakness.

Kalie Kollmar 5-4-10 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.51.135.98 (talk) 03:40, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

That is an impressive wall of text. Splitting it up into paragraphs might help. --174.130.231.162 (talk) 03:27, 13 May 2010 (UTC)