by Tonto
From Wikipedia : While there is no clear definition of compulsive hoarding in accepted diagnostic criteria (such as the current DSM), Frost and Hartl (1996) provide the following defining features:[3]
• The acquisition of and failure to discard a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value
• Living spaces sufficiently cluttered so as to preclude activities for which those spaces were designed
• Significant distress or impairment in functioning caused by the hoarding
• Reluctance or inability to return borrowed items; as boundaries blur, impulsive acquisitiveness could sometimes lead to kleptomania or stealing.
Recently a friend expressed a concern that I may be slipping into the compulsive hording realm and I immediately dismissed it as nonsense but yet, I heard him out as a friend would do. As I drove home later that evening I began to think about what he said with a bit of concern because while things have become a bit cluttered at the house, I surely couldn’t be falling into the ‘hording’ mentality, or could I?
I’ve been called a packrat in the past, by family and friends but I’ve always said that ‘oh it might come in use’. Well, I ask this question. When does prepping become hording? Is it when you have boxes of nuts, bolts, pieces of visqueen folded up into boxes, clothing that really should be thrown away kept for rags or to make patches in current clothing, or even into that blue jean quilt you’ve always wanted? Is there a problem when you don’t have floor space but have paths that weave between doorways, tables and shelving units that hold your precious Preparedness related items?
Is there a problem when instead of throwing away items from the table that always gets cluttered up during the week or month you put it all into a box to go through later yet you seem to never get around to cleaning out that box? Is there a problem when the throw out pile becomes a pile of useful and useless items?
So, I ask the Preparedness community this question. When does Prepping become hording?
4 comments:
Yes...you need professional help. I've been telling you this for a long time now. LOL
Seriously though...it's something I struggle with as well. Lately, I have been in purge mode. I've spent a lot of time going through stuff and trying to get rid of the crap I really have no practical use for.
I've also spent time putting stuff together so that it is all in one place. I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to go to one particular container and find ALL of the knives I own. This came in handy when I put together my Pocket Survival Kit. I knew right where everything was I was looking for.
Prep supplies aren't much good if you don't know what you have or where it is.
PJ
as a hoarder, yes I freely admit I have a hard time getting rid of anything except trash.... I can tell you that "we" do have different brain waves. I actually did some research on this since my grandma is the same way...yes one can inherit the ability to hoard.
I've gone through my entire household NUMEROUS times getting rid of all things I do not use and yet I STILL manage to "collect treasures".
I basically have those paths you've spoken of. lol!
I figure, why not leave a worthless mess behind for my kids to fight over? It will bring them together...maybe and they will HAVE to think about me.
I look at it this way now: my "mess" hides my preps very well! :D
There are simply too many other funner things to be doing out there than going through your things and getting rid of them!
Tonto, et al,
When we had that conversation it wasn't so much that you might be a hoarder as you might want to thin out some stuff so it doesn't go to waste. You saw the dumpster full of food i had to throw out from the old farm house because it was thrity years outdated.
Yes it is a fine line between saver and hoarder. I have found that battle all my life, I too come from a long and steady line of packrats. Also, you have seen my paths as well.
The one thing that bugs me about my stuff is that it is not organized. I waste time and money because I can't find an item I know I have.
Wolverine
PS, Did those deep cell batteries work out?
I think planning and organization mixed with a little bit of moderation/common sense make the differance between a horder and a prepper.
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