I have been a hoarder in the past. I still like collecting sets but it is quite a different thing now.
When I was hoarding, I couldn't throw anything out. It was like exorcising a part of myself. It was like leaving my helpless baby on a hilltop with wolves nearby. I was emotionally invested in everything.
As I started to recover I became aware that everything I was holding onto was a bookmark of something I have attempted that didn't conclude the way I wanted it to. Even something small like having breakfast or wiping over a bench, if it hadn't gone to plan I was keeping the unfinished food and the dusting cloth.
I don't know if this is everyone's experience of hoarding but I somehow felt I was keeping everything safe and together by hanging onto it and as if my life would fall apart if I lost anything.
It developed at a time of great anxiety and probably was an extension of my love of collecting. Nowadays I have turned to digital collections

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