The Difference Between Collecting and Hoarding: Collecting Versus Hoarding:

Collecting is an art while hoarding depicts mental illness. For centuries, people have been collectors seeking, finding and acquiring many different kinds of things that attract their attention like rocks, coins, stamps, antiques and artwork. This may include musical instruments, tools, bikes and machinery, too.  

Most collectors learn how to catalogue their various treasures and at times, though not always, they put them on display and show them to others. They dedicate their time and energy to the maintenance of things like antique cars and boats. At times, they have to find extra storage space because their collections are excessively large. Shows are an outlet for antique collectors. Some collectors try to sell their collections or a part thereof, when they become tired of them or want to earn some extra cash.

Collecting is a mentally healthy pastime for anyone. Collecting is something that young children learn at an early age, partly because they need to learn the value of what they own and how to take care of their personal possessions. Older children learn how to share or exchange their collections of various items, like baseball or hockey cards. Disposal of one’s collection of treasures is not always easy for anyone, a child, teen or an adult. Everyone enjoys having personal belongings.

On the other hand, what is hoarding? When or how does hoarding start?

The Mayoclinic.com website suggests, “Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them.”

Everyone saves things at one time or another. People consider most things to have some dollar value, even if it an old bottle found on the street, a can with an unusual label or a hubcap from a vintage car. Many times, these kinds of things wind up in unorganized piles in people’s homes or yards. They could be disposed of, but they are not.There may be many reasons for this. Maybe there has been a lack, shortage or a history of poverty in a person’s background. This may be associated with dysfunctional family relationships, where no one really takes the time or accepts the responsibility to take care of things properly. Not everyone learns how to take care of his or her home or personal possessions. Not everyone recognizes the merit of doing so.

Giving away one’s personal collection of whatever to just anyone, may not seem to be right to someone, particularly if he or she has saved his or her collection of various items, over a long time. He or she might ask if the collection will be valued or saved. Will it be inadvertently be disposed of by someone who will not look after it, because he or she did not recognize its value? Should it be part of an inheritance? 

At times, collections of whatever appear to be well organized, particularly when the collector demonstrates a well-organized mind. In other kinds of situations, the collections may quickly turn into a clutter or numerous clutters of whatever. Too much clutter makes takes the joy out of living in one’s home. This also becomes a mentally unhealthy situation.

There are times, when people keep collections of items like pop cans, cardboard and newspapers for recycling. This is a mentally healthy practice, as it is oriented towards solving problems related to global awareness. A problem arises if people are not able to dispose of the material they intend to recycle.

Recycling different kinds of collections can result in extra cash. An example might be that of pop cans, old bottles or even beer bottles.

   

When a person cannot dispose of things that are becoming a mentally unhealthy, excessive clutter, then there is a mental health problem. It also depicts a disorganized thought process. This may include compulsive and pathological hoarding of treasures that consist of anything and everything.

When there is fear of disposing of things, this is a pathological, mentally unhealthy situation called disposophobia.

Compulsive hoarding goes beyond the art of collecting. It grows increasingly evident when one is collecting in excess and failing to throw out or dispose of unwanted or unneeded items. Hoarding may involve pets that are not cared for properly.

Compulsive hoarding syndrome is an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this kind of a scenario, even day-today garbage adds up and soon presents a serious health hazard. In a severe hoarding scenario, the efforts of others including family members, to resolve the hoarding dilemma, are thwarted. The hoarder may not allow anything to be moved or touched. This presents a serious health or safety hazard, like cigarette butts and old tin cans, partially filled with contaminated food, oil or gas cans.

In a severe hoarding situation, the clutter grows and grows with no apparent resolution. Every part of the house is filled with what others regard as junk. There may not even be room to walk into the hoarder’s home. There may be mini-pathways in various directions. Piles of everything are stacked wherever, without any effort to put anything in storage containers or boxes. Nothing is organized. There is total chaos.  

De-cluttering therapy is helpful in a hoarding situation, but underlying issues like fear, need to be resolved first. There may be other health-related concerns that have to be addressed like vision, previous injury related problems, depression, fatigue or illness.

Sometimes, there are things cannot be discarded because of a person’s marital situation or business related concerns. A hoarder may be inherently lazy, tired or too busy and does not take the time because of his or her other priorities. Many hoarders have given up on life.

Most people love to give things to others and take pride in their collections, as well as good stewardship, sharing with their things with others, whenever the opportunity arises. It is important to recognize when hoarding takes place and to address the concern, as soon as possible, for the health and safety of everyone involved.