Hi, I'm a person that has a long history of compulsive shopping and really caused alot of harm to myself with a long haul to clean up the aftermath. The good news is that I've been on my mental health journey now for about 15 years and have had some wins with my treatments. I have finally figured out that anxiety and PTSD are my big triggers for going deep into the compulsion and appetite to collect items to the point that it can honestly be a health and safety issue. It's not that different from someone turning to cigarettes drugs or alcohol to just have anything to distract from the pain and feel just a small bit of relief no matter how much the backlash will be. Thankfully I've tappered myself off by seeing what i was doing hurt the people and animals i loved dearly in my life. I never hoarded animals and thought the way to take care of them was to buy them the best toys, cat trees and anything else constantly, but really they just needed me to be present with them and provide a safe peaceful environment. I thought love was buying things, but it backfired more often than not, leaving me not only more financially broken but socially as well. But anyways... I've focused more on doing things for loved ones and practing being present with those i love, which is hard but they are patient and appreciate the effort. I even get frustrated when they try to buy me something because i already have something that would work and i don't want them to waste their resources either lol.
Anyway, what i did to try to "tame" my shopping and acquiring habit is to switch to consumable items instead of fashion, novelities and crafting items. During the lockdown i worked alot of overtime and was very proud that I kept the money in savings for almost 6 months and actually paid off a few small debts that were in collections. I realized that one of the easiest ways to clean a space was to not buy anything. And I've had a few months i didn't spend money or overly acquire since the lockdown 🙂. I had a substantial pantry and frozen food stocked up that was organized and in date. But family tragedy happened and started buying things for loved ones to try to make the situation more bareable which in turn burned up my tiny nest egg i needed as a deposit for an apartment. Not all of the items were essential or required and just made my situation more difficult in the long run. I'm now in grief and had to move to a place of last resort because my cats and myself was in danger.
... keep reading on reddit ➡Hello everybody, I was kind of a hoarder when I was a child, collecting everything and having lot of difficulties parting with any object. Then I had an obsessive-compulsive decluttering phase. I threw away so many things, even sentimental ones. Now that period is over, and I feel so bad for discarding all that stuff. My hoarding habits have come back, and now I'm trying to fill the void left accumulating as many things as possible. I can't spend a day without thinking about my lost items, it's been like a self-induced trauma. I deal with a lot of mental illnesses, and I can't see a way to go on. I'm sorry for this rant, but I know that many people here can understand the attachment to possessions, so I think you can relate better than most of people.
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I have the urge to write down pretty much anything that gives me any sort of emotional response. Things I want to or have done, things people have said to me or I have said to them, any intrusive thoughts or feelings I had about anyone. Dreams, goals, fears, likes and interests, I even write down what I'm talking to myself about. I write to myself...
I tried to sort out my hundreds of pages of thoughts to actually pull out the few useful things I had like actual goals, ideas, and current chores im working on, but after spending a few hours sorting through it all Im starting to realize how FUCKED I really am here.
The notes are garbage. There's is nothing worth value there. Its so weird because in the moment I can't bring myself to not write, but going back a few days later I don't think twice as I scroll past them.
Still, even with this in mind I can't bring myself to not write more thoughts out. In the moment, it feels like every thought is precious and will become useful in the future. Obviously thats not the case as I scroll past them and don't feel a hint of necessity in them. But I just can't do anything about it.
I can't sort them out because that will take hours or going through literal junk just to find like 2 chores I missed. But I also can't not write that shit dump...
Every time I go shopping in a supermarket or chemist I buy a bunch of cleaning products and crap “just in case we need it”. I wouldn’t say I’m a typical hoarder because I do throw out stuff and give stuff away, but I am constantly replacing the disposed stuff with new things I have bought. My room is mildly cluttered but I clean and throw things out quite often. Plenty of room to move around and bed and chair all vacant, but just too much crap on the shelves.
When I travel, I tend to pack my whole goddamn room into my luggage. Just in case I might need X item in case Y happens. I look like a moron mugging around three bags and a total of 50kg of luggage through the airport and train stations.
The stuff I buy is often for other people as well. Most of the time, they genuinely do need the products I buy. For example, my work team needed cleaning products for a client of ours we take care of to clean his house (he can barely move). The company wasn’t supplying enough so I bought them. Or, my family members might need certain medicines, bandages, sunscreen or ointments etc. I can hardly resist the urge to buy them when I see them, but it’s frustrating when it turns out they don’t even end up using the item (even though they said they needed it previously).
I often don’t get reimbursed but I feel this obsessive need to be “useful” and help people. A lot of people have told me in the past that I am a genuinely helpful person and they’re grateful I bought X or did Y for them, but it’s ruining me financially and I have to get out of this mindset that doing these things is my responsibility. But I have compulsions to buy these things because I obsess over the potential consequences of me not purchasing them - like someone getting sick.
Anyone else have these sort of compulsions? Particularly the ones that make saving money almost impossible?
Any advice on how to improve your financial situation/ability to save money when you suffer from this type of OCD?
EDIT: Just wanted to add that I don’t go for brand name products when there are generic, cheap alternatives that are exactly the same. My knowledge of cleaning chemicals and the other items I buy is quite extensive. It’s not that I buy heaps of expensive things like expensive clothes and such (always buy cheap clothes), it’s just that I always buy way too damn much!! I can’t avoid going to supermarkets or chemists completely because I need to go there at least once a week to buy my own groceries and pick u
... keep reading on reddit ➡
Just wondering if there is another term to use to talk to mental health providers or look for resources related to what seems to be a common situation among people with depression/bipolar. This is distinct from what I would consider "true hoarding" in that the person has no compulsive desire or need to acquire and hold on to items, resulting in extreme clutter. Instead, this would be when a person wants to get rid of things but just can't manage to clean up due to symptoms of a non-OCD related mental illness.
Others who have their backpack so full of clothes that you can pick up only a handful of weapons before being overburdened? This was a real pain in Witcher 3 too.
Full article from 2018 here:
https://psychcentral.com/lib/treatment-of-hoarding-induced-trauma-and-perpetration/
Money Quote:
>... partners and other family members are told they have “enabled” perpetrators, become “co-hoarders” by providing or perpetuating the kind of living environments that make possible accumulating behavior. This is like telling a burglary victim that he or she has enabled a thief, become a “co-thief”, via the practice of homeownership and consumerism in a capitalist society. Otherwise, partners and family members are simply encouraged to be patient with hoarding perpetrators, or they are coached to not yell at or criticize them, as if protecting the hoarder from feelings of shame or decompensation were the paramount, if not exclusive purpose of treatment.
My ex-husband and I have been attempting to battle serious signs of compulsive eating in our 10 year old. I'm honestly contemplating putting locks on my cabinets, but I fear that parents who do this have kids who grow up and write scathing memoirs about their early lives.
A bit of background: Son is very big for his age, 5'1 ~ 105lbs, doesn't look overweight at all, but has been gaining weight rapidly. Has NEVER experienced food insecurity, and eats heartily at his 3 daily meals (his portions are generally much larger than my own, which I've chalked up to his 4"+ growth year over year) He also eats a wide variety of foods; proteins, vegetables, fruits, grains, and a fair amount of sweets. He's never tried a food he didn't like, from mac and cheese to chicken hearts and boiled tripe.
He also definitely has ADHD, thus far not professionally diagnosed, though all the symptoms are there and agreed on by his school staff, therapist, and my own experiences as an ADHD person. He has a neuro-psych appointment in October for a diagnosis. He exhibits typical ADHD behaviors, he's very bright, executive disfunction, absent minded, and has serious impulse control issues.
This leads to our current issue. For years I've been finding excessive food wrappers, and dealt with him sneaking food but it seems to have ramped up to a new level of compulsion lately (maybe a symptom of social distancing and just being home more?) For example, he snuck and ate FOURTEEN lunchbox sized packages of cookies, along with half a pound of peanut M&Ms, and his normal breakfast, yesterday, before I woke up at 8:30am.
I'm really at a loss, this is disgusting behavior, and no amount of pleading, punishment, or positive reinforcement seems to be working. I'm afraid putting excessive restrictions on food may make the sneaking even worse. Honestly, I'm beyond frustrated, worried for my son's long term physical and mental health, and desperate for advice. Has anyone successfully curbed this behavior in their kids? Any advice is welcome.
I'm currently in the process of moving out of state, which means I have to get rid of a lot of stuff. Some of it I haven't touched in years, but trying to deal with it is really causing me some extreme stress and anxiety (it's not the only stressor, but it seems like a really bad one right now). I'm fighting the classic symptoms of compulsive hoarding; persistent difficulty disposing of objects regardless of actual value and feeling horrible about getting rid of things.
Edit; also, I have difficulty with categorizing and sorting my possessions, which is another symptom.
I know that there are a lot of paid clean up services for people with compulsive hoarding, but are there any non-profit organizations that help? A lot of people cannot afford these expensive services.
I have an embarrassment of free time right now, and have had family members affected by this horrible illness. I'd like to help in some way if possible.
Thanks!
So, during my struggling days I hid food, stashed it, ate boxes of granola bars or anything the disorder deemed as “safe for the time being”... anyway, I’ve been recovered from behaviors and such for months but I still struggle immensely with hoarding food... it’s becoming too controlling and I can’t handle it anymore. The issue is, I have no idea how to handle it. It’s worse than it was when I was struggling. I do the same with clothes, self care products, drinks, etc... there’s no reason now that I’ve lived in my own for nearly a year now so the only one touching/using/wearing/eating my stuff is me. I don’t have any logical reason for why I do it because it’s always been such a bad issue it was just different when I was a kid (before I even started struggling). Anyway it is interfering with so much of my life and it’s honestly something I can’t/don’t want to deal with.
I need major help. I have even tried to just give things away, pack it for work, or force myself to get ready but the issue is, my self esteem is in the gutter and honesty I am so exhausted from work that I don’t even feel like getting out together for anything. I have to wear a work uniform anyway so basically my clothes just hang in the closet untouched. I have even tried selling some things to eliminate. The problem is, I get rid of something but end up buying more of something else. It’s getting out of hand. Please help with any guidance or accountability x
What were some of your favorite collections which you amassed? Besides the obvious power armor fleet, my favorite was a pit that I devoted to dumping all the bones I would find around. Super mutant bases were great for collecting the gory viscera.
By the end of my game I had a pretty impressive golgotha built up. Also bathtubs full of deathclaw hands and cribs full of toys haha.
I have the urge to write down pretty much anything that gives me any sort of emotional response. Things I want to or have done, things people have said to me or I have said to them, any intrusive thoughts or feelings I had about anyone. Dreams, goals, fears, likes and interests, I even write down what I'm talking to myself about. I write to myself...
I tried to sort out my hundreds of pages of thoughts to actually pull out the few useful things I had like actual goals, ideas, and current chores im working on, but after spending a few hours sorting through it all Im starting to realize how FUCKED I really am here.
The notes are garbage. There's is nothing worth value there. Its so weird because in the moment I can't bring myself to not write, but going back a few days later I don't think twice as I scroll past them.
Still, even with this in mind I can't bring myself to not write more thoughts out. In the moment, it feels like every thought is precious and will become useful in the future. Obviously thats not the case as I scroll past them and don't feel a hint of necessity in them. But I just can't do anything about it.
I can't sort them out because that will take hours or going through literal junk just to find like 2 chores I missed. But I also can't not write that shit dump...
I have the urge to write down pretty much anything that gives me any sort of emotional response. Things I want to or have done, things people have said to me or I have said to them, any intrusive thoughts or feelings I had about anyone. Dreams, goals, fears, likes and interests, I even write down what I'm talking to myself about. I write to myself...
I tried to sort out my hundreds of pages of thoughts to actually pull out the few useful things I had like actual goals, ideas, and current chores im working on, but after spending a few hours sorting through it all Im starting to realize how FUCKED I really am here.
The notes are garbage. There's is nothing worth value there. Its so weird because in the moment I can't bring myself to not write, but going back a few days later I don't think twice as I scroll past them.
Still, even with this in mind I can't bring myself to not write more thoughts out. In the moment, it feels like every thought is precious and will become useful in the future. Obviously thats not the case as I scroll past them and don't feel a hint of necessity in them. But I just can't do anything about it.
I can't sort them out because that will take hours or going through literal junk just to find like 2 chores I missed. But I also can't not write that shit dump...
