I can see that this is an old thread, but I googled my problem and this was the only related information I could find. Since grade school I've had an issue with throwing things away. I throw EVERYTHING away. I sometimes throw away documents, receipts, notes and cards that I later need or wish I had not gotten rid of. I get rid of clothes and empty the contents of drawers constantly. Even the sparse filing system for important documents I do have gets cleared out at times. I have also struggled with purging of food intermittently throughout my life, but currently that isn't much of an issue as I've gotten a little bit older and have a healthier body image. My problem with throwing things away has always been fairly manageable and hasn't interfered with my everyday life in an especially significant way until recently when I had a relationship end because the guy I was dating noticed that I deleted all of my emails and frequently cleared out the text and call history in my phone. He insisted that I must have something to hide, which I did not, and could not understand that I just like to clear out the unnecessary things in my life. The only words I can come up with to describe the reason I do this, is that it makes me feel pure. When my inbox, closet, even photo albums get too full it gives me anxiety and makes my life feel cluttered. If I clear out the things I don't need I feel like I've simplified my entire life. When my inbox/internet history/call log/filing cabinet are empty, I feel so much relief. But at the same time I have created stress for myself by throwing things away that I really need, giving away things that are very valuable or as mentioned above making it difficult for people to trust me. Several times throughout my relationship with this particular guy I tried to stop deleting thing, but wasn't able to do it. I understand his concern, and I see now that this issue can effect more than just me but I'm not really sure what to do about it.