This is my journey of creating a hoard-free lifestyle. I will share with you this new adventure as I go along and change this aspect of my personality.
I know hoarding is a disease, but I also believe hoarding is a trait, and that it can be changed by positive steps that are done every day. I also believe it is very difficult to overcome.
I have a fantastic support system! My family is amazing and my friends have helped me through this and one has been there every step of the way. Thank you, Dez!
I have been terrified, sad, happy, nervous, and very frustrated during this process, but I also very grateful to have the opportunity to make this astronomical change in my life.
At the beginning of this, I did not want to throw anything away, I was in danger of being evicted at any moment in time, I couldn’t find anything important that I owned (even though I insisted I knew where everything was), and I never invited people over.
I never wanted to throw anything away, not because I was lazy, but because I may need it someday, though what anyone will ever need a broken plastic spoon for, is beyond me now.
That is the type of junk I kept. Moldy food, empty pizza boxes, more fast food bags filled with moldy food than should ever be kept (none is the number of all of the above that are needed in ANY home), soda cans, empty (and half-full), water bottles, just regular trash a normal human being can throw away.
I could not bring myself to throw any of it out. I kept every piece of mail that came into this house. I saved all books, trinkets, mementos, and toy I had ever been given (and that included Happy Meal Toys) (btw, I have no small children).
Hoarding is a “maybe” disease. Maybe I will need this. Maybe I will fix this. Maybe someone else will need this. Maybe someone else can fix this.
There are many reasons people hoard. My reasons are that it was more comfortable to have junk than people in my home and that I was severely depressed, not realizing the junk was making the depression worse.