I'm a major hoarder. It's hard-wired into my brain. Even as a small child I hoarded things and I still have a lot of said things. Hoarding is actually what finally sent me to get serious psychiatric help instead of just anti-depressants & tranquilizers from my family doctor. It got so bad that something just had to be done about it.

My emotional state, however dire, is something that didn't have such a physical impact on those around me, and that allowed me to "get away with" not addressing my mental health problems. But as the years went by, the objects kept piling up. I live with my mother, who is also a hoarder, although she denies it. (Her hoarding is quite mild in comparison, so I try not to give her much grief.)

It's not as bad here as I've seen on TV shows about hoarding, but I can't help but look around and think, "God I have SO MUCH STUFF!" And it's difficult to let go of any of that stuff, no matter how trivial it seems. "Hoarders" and other TV shows helped my mother understand the condition a bit better. (It's probably also why she doesn't consider herself one, since those cases are extreme.)

After trying all sorts of anti-depressants for over a decade, I found one that actually works on my need to keep things. It's sort of an off-switch. Sort of: it hasn't completely shut down the urge; it's more like it lowered the volume. The rest I have to do myself, which means clearing the clutter, throwing things away.

But it's been an awesome breakthrough all around. Things like receipts had sentimental value. Everything was "evidence" — proof of an emotion, action or event, no matter how large or small in scale — to be kept and treasured.

Now I'm not going to lie to you. Right next to me on this couch is a pile of items comprised of clutter and what I call "overspill". The overspill is stuff that should be in my bedroom but isn't because I hoarded my way right out of that room.

That's the place that really needs to get cleared out. I haven't had the stomach to go through 98% of what's in my bedroom due to the emotions it will inevitably bring up. (I sleep in another room now.) There are stacks and piles all over my bedroom. Lots of clothes, too.
With this medication and therapy, at some point, I'm going to be able to throw away, donate and organize what's in there and finally get my bedroom back.

That's one of my long-term goals: sleeping in my own bedroom!

So, does anyone have hoarding tendencies? I most certainly do. And it's a battle.