Compulsive Hoarding: Do You Fit The Profile?
My father is a pack rat. It seems like he saves everything - empty coffee cans, old computer monitors, broken stereo speakers - you name it, and Dad might have one or three out in his storage building. He’s even been known to pocket a few twisty tie things from break loaves in his day.
I mean, honestly. It drives my mother up the wall.
However, Dad’s pack rat tendencies have come to the rescue on more than one occasion. Whenever something malfunctions, it seems like all he has to do is wade through his hodgepodge of junk to find a tool, a replacement, or some other sort of solution.
This is why I’m not too ticked off about having inherited his pack rat behavior.
However, there’s a fine line between being a pack rat and being a compulsive hoarder, according to WebMD feature article writer Kathleen Doheny. In her article, Harmless Pack Rat or Compulsive Hoarder? 3 questions to help you decide if you’ve crossed the line into hoarding, and how treatment can help you de-clutter, Doheny provides statistics and back story about hoarders, a profile outline of hoarders, and questions to help you determine whether you are a harmless pack rat or compulsive hoarder.
During my first skim of the article, I discovered that I share all four of the traits listed in the hoarder profile: an urge to acquire, perfectionism, indecision and avoidance, and a sense of responsibility.
Uh oh, I thought.
However, once I dug a little deeper and answered the questions, I realized that I only slightly share these traits in relation to saving stuff.
Whew. I’m safely settled as a harmless pack rat.
What about you? Check out the article and feel free to share your findings!
Want additional resources regarding compulsive hoarding? Refer to:
- OCD and the Need to Hoard, from the WebMD blog Anxiety and Stress Management written by Pat Farrell, PhD.
- The Obsessive Compulsive Foundation’s Compulsive Hoarding Web site.
- The Bio-Behavioral Institute’s section on compulsive hoarding.
POSTED IN: Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Resources, Sites of Interest
2 opinions for Compulsive Hoarding: Do You Fit The Profile?
Exercise Advice
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I’m definitely a pack rat.
However, I’m going to go through all my pack rat stuff and if I haven’t used it in a year then it is going bye-bye.
BPD in OKC
Mar 28, 2008 at 12:24 am
I’m a semi-pack rat. There’s a lot of stuff I keep lying around, but then there’s some stuff I trash once I don’t need it anymore.
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