Getting sick of people using the wording hoarding in a flippant way.

[CW&M Mom]

Seriously I'm watching Hoarders right now on Netflix. I have had to clean up my inlaws (divorced) hoarding disasters several times. I've had to clean the most disgusting things you could think of. Clean up piles of crap that made us literally sick for weeks.

And people watch that dang show and then call me or you a hoarder.

IT'S NOT THE SAME THING!!!!!

Now the term compulsive shopper I think is an awesome way that could be termed for some of the Extreme Coupon shoppers on that show. But as far as I can tell...not one of them are actually hoarders.

Neat shelves that have detergent and cereal and cleaners that can be easily gotten to and easily reached is not hoarding. Could they be buying too much....you bet. Have I purchased too much...sure. I had probably more cleaning supplies then we really needed...and when the Joplin Tornado hit we gathered up all the excess and donated it to them. A hoarder won't throw away the dang trash...let alone give away boxes and boxes of there belongings.

Sorry just getting this off my chest...we should start here ...when people term hoarding to correct them as to what hoarding actually is. IMO it's not helpful to the actual hoarder either to misuse that phrase because they are already in delusion as to how bad there homes are...we don't need to feed that delusion...by them seeing clean homes, well organized being called hoarding.

[bali1228]

I totally agree with you, people are so quick to toss around the disorder of the day like they know what they're talking about.

[mommy22boys]

I have container upon container of baby boy clothes all neatly stacked on shelves in my utility room. Why am I keeping them? I'm hoping to jinx myself into having a girl the next time (lol) and then I will be done having kids. So (maybe) I will never need those clothes again. Yet I keep them. I must be a hoarder. lol

I know what you mean about the term "hoarder." My coworker calls me a hoarder (kind of in a joking way but its annoying) because she constantly throws away perfectly good stuff and I stop her & say I will take it. Like literally she will be cleaning off her desk and just start tossing unopened packs of post-its, pens, paper clips, etc... cause she don't like the color or style or whatever (yes, she is deep in debt due to shopping issues- that's another story.) It aggrivates me because like you said- a hoarder wont throw away TRASH. Her stuff is not trash. It's not like I say "Wait! Don't throw away that candy wrapper! I might be able to use it someday!" lol

[omgzitsmiranda]

I have container upon container of baby boy clothes all neatly stacked on shelves in my utility room. Why am I keeping them? I'm hoping to jinx myself into having a girl the next time (lol) and then I will be done having kids. So (maybe) I will never need those clothes again. Yet I keep them. I must be a hoarder. lol

I know what you mean about the term "hoarder." My coworker calls me a hoarder (kind of in a joking way but its annoying) because she constantly throws away perfectly good stuff and I stop her & say I will take it. Like literally she will be cleaning off her desk and just start tossing unopened packs of post-its, pens, paper clips, etc... cause she don't like the color or style or whatever (yes, she is deep in debt due to shopping issues- that's another story.) It aggrivates me because like you said- a hoarder wont throw away TRASH. Her stuff is not trash. It's not like I say "Wait! Don't throw away that candy wrapper! I might be able to use it someday!" lol

I totally get what you're saying lol. I hear this crap ALL the time or I see people that throw away perfectly good stuff and ask for it/to pay for it or whatever and they just kind of miff at me and hand it over lol. I'm not asking for a "hand out" I'm just simply more willing to take/keep the stuff than they are apparently..

My friend who I was helping organize stuff and clean out her spare "junk room" had a brand new put back in the packaging sheet set that retails for $80 that she was going to THROW IN THE GARBAGE BAG {I kid you not} because they were "too soft." What was running through my mind was "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" lol. SO I asked what kind of price tag she would sell them for and she just threw them at me and has made comments ever since about how she didn't know "that you needed stuff that bad...". Do you think it's wrong of me to save perfectly good sheets from being tossed? Heck no I wouldn't pay $80 for sheets LOL.

My other friend on FB has consistently talked "down" about couponing/stockpiling and that we're all "hoarders." It really annoys me because like someone up above said, if it's all organized, "needed" and readily available & not taking over your life what's the big deal? And also, IF IT'S IN MY HOUSE AND MY LIFE WHY IS IT THEIR PROBLEM/WORRY? lol.

Just my 50 cents lol.

[urchin_grey]

Hoarding by its true definition is not the same as the mental illness. It just means to accumulate items for future use, which is exactly what most of us here do. Compulsive hoarding, on the other hand, is an entirely different thing... as we know.

So next time someone calls you a hoarder, just take the opportunity to school them on the difference between stockpiling and compulsive hoarding as a mental illness (and perhaps the difference between most of us and the people that have 264 bottles of orange soda in their stockpile).

[CW&M Mom]

Hoarding by its true definition is not the same as the mental illness. It just means to accumulate items for future use, which is exactly what most of us here do. Compulsive hoarding, on the other hand, is an entirely different thing... as we know.

So next time someone calls you a hoarder, just take the opportunity to school them on the difference between stockpiling and compulsive hoarding as a mental illness (and perhaps the difference between most of us and the people that have 264 bottles of orange soda in their stockpile).

Definition of Hoarding via Mayo Clinic.

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Some people also collect animals, keeping dozens or hundreds of pets often in unsanitary conditions.
Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, may be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But many people who hoard don't have other OCD-related symptoms.
People who hoard often don't see it as a problem, making treatment challenging. But intensive treatment can help people who hoard understand their compulsions and live safer, more enjoyable lives.
Sorry but even the person with 200 plus bottles of orange soda...if they keep that soda neat and tidy, use it and throw any out that go bad...IS NOT A HOARDER.

I just completely disagree that someone who is smart enough to purchase food or cleaning supplies so that they have enough to never pay full price, tide them over in lean times or during disasters, share with there neighbors, and keep it neat and tidy and share and throw away when it expires...is not hoarding. Period.

Symptoms

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff In the homes of people who are compulsive hoarders, the countertops, sinks, stoves, desks, stairways and virtually all other surfaces are usually stacked with stuff. And when there's no more room inside, the clutter may spread to the garage, vehicles and yard.
Hoarding affects emotions, thoughts and behavior. Signs and symptoms of hoarding may include:

• Cluttered living spaces
• Inability to discard items
• Keeping stacks of newspapers, magazines or junk mail
• Moving items from one pile to another, without discarding anything
• Acquiring unneeded or seemingly useless items, including trash or napkins from a restaurant
• Difficulty managing daily activities, including procrastination and trouble making decisions
• Difficulty organizing items
• Shame or embarrassment
• Excessive attachment to possessions, including discomfort letting others touch or borrow possessions
• Limited or no social interactions

People who hoard typically save items because they believe these items will be needed or have value in the future. A person also may hoard items that he or she feels have important emotional significance — serving as a reminder of happier times, for example, or representing beloved people or pets. People who hoard may report feeling safer when surrounded by the things they save.
It's important to note that hoarding is different from collecting. People who have collections, such as stamps or model cars, deliberately search out specific items for their collections. Collectors often categorize their items and carefully display them. Hoarders, on the other hand, will save random items they encounter in their daily life and store them haphazardly in their homes or surrounding areas

[TaraRN]

I couldn't have said it better myself - and couldn't agree more!! Very Well Said!

[everprincess]

Okay I have watched Hoarders a million times and most of the episodes I have seen are just down right nasty. Big difference between stockpiling items we will use and just plain flith. If I need something in my stockpile I can find it but these people on this show can't find jack-lol!

[Troop1379]

I have also watched Hoarders may times and half the time I can't watch the whole show. I am not a hoarder and most of us are not hoarders. 1. cause we use the stuff we bring into our homes. 2. It is not trash 3. we dont keep empty milk bottles just because we might use them 20 years from now. I get told a lot that I am a hoarder I just laugh and say "NO I am not a hoader I just know how to spend my money"

[urchin_grey]

That is the definition of compulsive or pathological hoarding, which is a mental illness. "To hoard" means nothing more than to gather items. Like a squirrel.

From dictionary.com (note the synonyms):

–verb (used without object) 3. to accumulate money, food, or the like, in a hidden or carefully guarded place for preservation, future use, etc.


Origin:
before 900; Middle English hord ( e ), Old English hord; cognate with Old Norse hodd, Old High German hort, Gothic huzd treasure; see hide1 , hide2

—Related forms hoard·er, noun
un·hoard·ed, adjective

—Can be confused:  hoard, horde.

—Synonyms
1. stockpile, reserve, cache, store, stock.

So yeah. I have a small hoard. But we can just stick with stockpile because of the negative connotation that is now associated with "hoard".