7 Signs You May Be A Hoarder

When most people hear the word ‘hoarder’, they may automatically think of the popular television show. Filled with images of garbage spilling over the kitchen counters, filthy living areas and mountains of unused household items or clothes are common things associated with the word ‘hoarder’, you’ve probably wondered how someone could possibly allow their home to become so cluttered and continue to live in it. However, hoarders do not become hoarders overnight. The mental pictures you may have in your mind when you hear the word ‘hoarder’ are actually caused by one little decision followed by another and then another.Chances are, these people are comfortable in their home due to possible oncoming anxiety that could come with parting with their beloved belongings. People who hoard things may not realize (in the beginning, at least) that they are actually hoarding. More likely than not, they are harboring many underlying mental conditions caused by traumatic events that led to the destruction of their home. So the question lies: Exactly why and how does someone become a hoarder? Here, we will discuss the definition of being a hoarder, how it slowly progresses, possible underlying causes and how it could easily happen to anybody.

1. Inability To Throw Things Away

It seems so easy to judge things we cannot understand. Mental disabilities or disorders are the most common misunderstood thing. Apart from disorders, an addictive personality is another difficult thing to process. Unfortunately, these are real problems for millions of people. A gift from a loved one would normally be used, as intended by the person gifting. However, there are many people who experience great discomfort in utilizing or even opening things that are given to them. This is an important sign to look for. In retrospect, discarding the boxes, gift wrap or bag could also trigger some sadness or irritation. The reasoning behind this could be many things.The most common reason is that the person fears that the person who gifted them something may not be around for much longer. The item would be much more sentimental to have around when the person who bought it has moved away or even passed away. Although this seems a little drastic, that’s where mental illness could come into play. Said person may have experienced some sort of regret in their life from throwing away an item they wanted back but never could. An incident like this may have occurred in many other’s lives and did not lead to hoarding, however, people process traumatic events entirely different. What may be a stressful ordeal for me could be a walk in the park for someone else.Next