Top 10 Signs That You Are “Hoarding,” Not Just “Collecting”

On December 17, 2009, in Collections, Guest Posts, Hoarders, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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Today’s guest article sheds some light on the differences between hoarding and collecting.  Many thanks to Ariane Benefit for sharing her insight.

TV shows featuring hoarders are causing lots of people who never thought of themselves as hoarders to wonder, “What really is the difference between ‘collecting’ and ‘hoarding’?”  Lots of people collect. Some of these collections are huge and go far beyond what the average person would ever consider having in their own home. And yet they are considered enthusiasts or collectors, not hoarders.

For example, some people have attics full of Department 56.  Some people have their entire homes decorated with Santas year round! Others collect snowmen, or cat decorations, or any number of other thing. In magazines like “COLLECTIBLES” they celebrate these collections and people show off their homes in pictorials.  On HGTV, they’ve shown homes where every inch of surface space is completely covered with Santas.  Shelves of Santas line every wall. So what is the difference between collecting and hoarding?  Where do you draw the line between “eccentric” and “disorder?”

First of all, collecting is a natural human instinct.  It comes in many shapes and sizes, but we all have it in one way or another.  Out of control or “compulsive collecting” and it’s partner, compulsive “keeping”, are what is referred to by the term hoarding. Personally, I feel that hoarding is a very unfortunate label for this behavior.

Hoarding is such an ugly word. Why would anyone want to think of themselves as a “hoarder” when the actual behavior looks like “collecting” AND we as a society actually celebrate and marvel at collections?  Collecting crosses all cultures, borders and languages. Every society honors and celebrates “collections” of things that are displayed in a way that educates, serves some kind of purpose, or inspires awe. The obvious example is museums. Others include libraries, stores, even magazines and blogs. They are all collections of things, ideas, photos, etc.  Even our closets, drawers, and filing systems are collections.

There are a wide range of ways that “collecting” disorders are expressed. There is a real difference between someone whose collecting behavior is focused on a single thing that overtakes their life, someone who “collects” animals beyond their ability to care for them, and someone who literally can’t let go of things, even garbage and rotting food.  Each of these disorders has it’s own set of mental and emotional characteristics.

Only recently has serious attention been paid to researching and defining these differences. I wish we could change the name of “hoarding” disorders to “collecting” disorders. My hope is that soon the terminology will be refined so there will be less “stigma” associated with the problem, and people will more easily be able to self-identify that they need help to resolve the problem.

For now, I have borrowed from several books on hoarding as well as my own experience to create a top 10 list of signs that you are “hoarding” rather than “collecting.”

Your collections ARE likely to be a hoarding or collecting disorder if any of the following are true.

1. You aren’t able to use some of the spaces or furniture in your home for their intended purposes.  For example: if your floors have become storage, and you can’t easily walk on them or you can’t use your kitchen to cook because all the “collections” are in the way.
2. You aren’t able to keep your collections clean and in good condition.
3. You aren’t able to store and/or display your collections in such a way that no harm comes to them.
4. The “collections” are often in your way and keep you from doing things you really want to do.
5. You can’t stop collecting, and feel like you “have” to – even if the collecting is putting you in debt, or keeping you from having other things in life that you want – like being able to have friends visit your home.
6. You want to let go of stuff, but can’t.  When you try, you get overwhelmed and go distract or soothe yourself in some other way.
7. You are embarrassed to call in repair or other service people into your home.
8. The collections are starting to control your life and your life is revolving around them.
9. You find yourself feeling overwhelmed instead of overjoyed when you really look at your collections.
10. You aren’t proud to show your collections to others.

Your collections are likely NOT a problem if:

•  Your life is functioning well and you are paying your bills and taxes on time.
•  You could get an appraiser to verify that your collections are worth something.
•  You keep your collections well organized and in good condition.
•  You know what you have and how much of it you have
•  Your collections give you real “joy” and don’t distress you.

“Healthy” collectors have the space, storage, time and money to actually take care of the things they collect and preserve their value. True collectors value their things and treat them well.  And when they can no longer take good care of them for whatever reason, they sell them, or give them away, rather than let them get damaged in any way.

If your collections are creating a negative impact on your life and relationships, it’s time to reevaluate, recognize that you may have a deeper problem, and seriously consider getting help to take back control of your life and your things. Here is a page of resources to get started in your search for help with hoarding disorders.



About the Author

Ariane Benefit, M.S. Ed
Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed., is a sought-after life coach, ADHD coach, and chronic disorganization expert who has helped hundreds of clients get unstuck, embrace their imperfections, and harness their creative strengths to conquer their clutter and organizing challenges. She is the author of several highly acclaimed organizing books, as well as the popular Neat & Simple Living blog.

Connect With Ariane: Web | E-mail | Blog 


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  • http://www.professional-organizer.com Ellen

    Thanks Deb and Arianne for sharing this. People do wonder what the difference is and this is a clear way for really thinking your behavior through. A tough one to see, but a really important one!

  • http://www.lotusbridge.com Ariane Benefit

    Hi Deb! Thanks so much for posting this! And Happy Holidays!

  • Ana

    Thank you. It was very clear and simple, put in point form. It was easy to say “yes” or “no” to each point, and therefore, easy to get the “diagnosis”; no subjectivity.
    God bless you.
    Ana

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  • Jadeatethemusic

    Really helped :) thanks

  • http://organizetorevitalize.com Deb Lee

    Jade:

    I’m so glad you liked that article. Was there anything in particular that you found helpful? If you have any questions (or have a topic you’d like us to blog about), let us know. If we don’t have an answer, we’ll find someone who does. Thanks for leaving a comment. =)

    Deb

  • Lassnlad

    Collecting vs. Hoarding…hmmmm…collecting is a better word, but it becomes hoarding when the “stuff” gets in the way, or if things can’t be found. Getting organiized with the “stuff” is the answer. Thanks for confirming.

  • http://organizetorevitalize.com Deb Lee

    I’m glad that the article clarified things for you. You are right – “collecting” does have a more positive connotation than “hoarding” does, and, yes, they are two very different things. Are you seeking help for yourself or a friend?

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  • Cardif

    Collections can be displayed, or is worth monetary value and is in a secure storage container. Hoarding is when you have too much to be displayed or you don’t bother to display it, you just want to keep it.

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  • Jade

    My room and the guest room are nearing max capacity, no one uses the guest room anymore. I have many nice things, useful things, things that are interesting to me.
    Anime, Books, crystals(rocks and fossils, too.), things made of abalone shell, rail road spikes and wires, Keys, photos, skulls of various animals, Cogs and gears, weapons, plates, spoons, dragon items, E.P.N.S. items, Jewlery, hookahs, old medical equipment, half a brick, bouncy balls, dream catchers, bottles, Resin casted items, things I’ve made, things for future use.
    Most of my stuff helps me remember bits of my past or things I’m supposed to do.
    I love showing people my collection, but it’s hard to move around, really, really hard to clean and is wreaking havoc on my asthma(Or allergies, I don’t know which.).
    In my twelve years of collecting I’ve lost aboot three things due to accidents(With optional freakout included in each case.)

  • http://organizetorevitalize.com Deb Lee

    @d3ae587691313bfa88c4a467dab44692:disqus  Thanks for sharing a bit about your life. It’s nice to look back at things we buy or collect and recall memories of fun and interesting time. When those things start negatively impacting our lives, we have to make some hard decisions. 
    Do you need help re-structuring things so that you can move about more safely?

  • oh

    hi deb,

    I’m in the middle of a design project about hoarding vs collecting, and im struggling with the big question. i am a hoarder. i collect a lot of stuff, it does not have a specific subject about it, it’s just stuff that i tend to keep. even if it’s a piece of paper with something that i wrote on it 9  years ago. i don’t like to get rid of things but i don’t have rotting food and boxes full of stuff all over my house , just pretty things that i keep because of their visual and sentimental value.
    how do i let people know that collecting/ hoarding (for me it’s the same thing)
    can even be good for you? it helps remembering stuff, even the bad things. and brings joy to the ones that keep it.

    thank u for that article.

    o
     

  • Jade

     No thanks, My clutter remains in two rooms, is mostly kept clean.
    Even got rid of some old school artwork, That stuff took up a whole cupboard. Got rid of my three drawers worth of pamphletes I retrieved at doctor visits, the metal in my backyard I got for making a robot will be going to the recycle place. The rest stays. I love it all too much to be rid of it. besides, I’m scared of open spaces/places.
    Found some old photos from my photopucket.

  • http://twitter.com/LindaSamuels Linda Samuels CPO-CD

    Really great perspective here both about de-stigmatizing the “collecting” disorder and also the distinctions you make between collecting and the cross-over point to when that becomes a disorder. What a helpful post, Ariane.

  • http://organizetorevitalize.com Deb Lee

    Hi @7e4d040ce2bd4c9f1cc64345e86db85b:disqus - I’m glad that you found the article helpful. I actually don’t see hoarding and collecting as the same thing (for the reasons noted in the blog post), but I do agree that some items can have high sentimental value and create great memories. 

    Having the physical items can help you relive those memories, but so can pictures of those things. I love sharing photos and reminiscing with friends and family. I hope this helps you with your project. Thanks for stopping by. =)

  • http://organizetorevitalize.com Deb Lee

    Hi @d3ae587691313bfa88c4a467dab44692:disqus - Thanks for sharing your photos. It sounds like you’re ready to let go of some things. Did you get help with organizing and purging or did you do it by yourself?

  • Jade

     By myself. Others try but they can’t seem to tell what I would like to keep, they rarely promise a good home/use of stuff they get rid of. I saw one of the hired hands put recycling in the trash. Eeeeeevil people. when they’re not stealing your money they take your stuff!

  • http://twitter.com/LindaSamuels Linda Samuels CPO-CD

    In reading through some of the responses, a few other thoughts occurred to me. Change won’t happen if there isn’t a reason to change. So if the collections are not negatively effecting your space, they are bringing you joy, they aren’t causing you stress, creating health or safety challenges, then is there a reason to change? Perhaps instead, it’s time to just enjoy your collections and let go of the worry.

    However, if you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, experiencing relationship strains or any of the other issues that were mentioned, seeking out the right type of help is key. In the post, Ariane includes a link to a wonderful list of resources from books, to websites to professionals.

    If you’re enjoying your stuff, continue enjoying it. If you’re in pain because of it, what is the next small step you can take to moving forward?

  • Geralin

    FYI – the word, “hamster” is derived from the German verb “hamstern” meaning “to hoard” – there are similar verbs in various related languages.  
    On a somewhat related note, many birds and rodents hoard; there are various types of hoarding behaviors in the animal world.  

  • http://organizetorevitalize.com Deb Lee

    @d3ae587691313bfa88c4a467dab44692:disqus It might seem the people helping you didn’t have a good understanding of what should be kept and what should be discarded. It’s a delicate process that requires the homeowner and anyone helping to work side by side, and to discuss the ground rules. Though there may have been misunderstandings, I suspect those helping you were not evil stealers. ;)

    On a final note, congrats on taking the bull by the horns and letting go of some things. I wish you the best as you move forward.

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