When Stuff Takes Over

What compels hoarders to save every newspaper, cardboard box, and item of clothing? Gail Steketee, a [...]professor of psychology and dean of the School of Social Work, has been studying hoarding for 15 years and is the coauthor of three books on the subject. Her most recent, written with Randy Frost, a professor of psychology at Smith College, is "Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things."

[@maryspeidel5258]

I have strange sense of limits. I’m the opposite of a hoarder. I like empty spaces. I get nervous around dirt and clutter. Thank God.

[@kiwikim5163]

Me too! Space makes me calm and serene. I am not an extreme minimalist it. I feel like Goldilocks. I have just the right amount of stuff.

[@saras.2173]

I don’t like empty spaces. I think because it reminds me of the emptiness within. Also, when the house feels empty, it highlights the fact that no one is in the house with me. It feels lonely. Looking around at the clutter doesn’t feel so lonely.

[@priusa8113]

I am relieved I am not that bad.... just kind of messy, but not a diagnosed hoarder! But certainly don’t wanna get there!

[@nmmorin3509]

Will share this super info with my friend 🎉❤

[@413smr]

I'm pretty sure I have that book "Stuff..." somewhere among the rest of my books. I haven't read it, of course. LOL

[@cathyblackhall3448]

She could keep a lot more books in a less messy way if she had decent sized tall bookcases!

[@lmiller1413]

Right! I think that this woman wants help, but needs a good system.

[@adinacefalu6410]

Your office gave me complete anxiety!!

[@lmiller1413]

Whose office?

[@catfancier270]

We have loads of books but they are organized. We got a row of shelves that was being sold by a pharmacy that was closing-just the right size for all our books.

[@joeldecoster8816]

we are a consumer society.... if you have a large family then after many years you get a billion things accumulated .How can you not/? trolllololoo

[@priusa8113]

Declutter /donate/recycle daily and you will avoid a lot of future hoarding behaviors!! Adopt a minimalistic lifestyle as well:)

[@dinamoore1580]

we maybe was a hoarder

[@ArielStanley-ss1mr]

Ariel Genevieve Stanley lee mactoumb binsalmon wellington

[@stevensgold]

well I think you have lots of money imagine to collect and buy this books.if you don't have enough money you will not be a border because if a person is poor they will buy foods medicine instead of stuff

[@glitterizedrainbow2311]

sadly not always. Some people live in garbage and won't dispose of it. Some even trawl through bins for free stuff and hoard it.

[@tonifonseca9178]

@@glitterizedrainbow2311 yup and it's very sad when your mom likes her stuff more than she wants a relationship with family you don't have to have a lot of money to horde trash this disorder of my mother's causes me a lot of anxiety cleaned out her house several times so if my aunts and her friends that are very organized and OCD and it's worse than it's ever been she needs medicine and therapy but at 78 years old is it gonna work?

[@413smr]

You can buy lots of unnecessary stuff at a dollar store.