I am a horder. Is it genetic?

amother

OP ↓

Today at 8:40 am

My father is a horder. He won't throw out a jar of instant coffee because it's a perfect storage container for...... nails, or for oatmeal, or for baking soda.. I mean, this is how I grew up.
He would find everyone's junk outside their curb waiting to be thrown out and he would bring it home. One day, he'll get to fixing it ...one carriage just needs a wheel (never mind it's rusty and ugly) and one bike just needs a new chain.. one day he'll make it work.. Over the years, he did get things to work and he made it usable since he's so handy but the basement and the backyard still looks like a junkyard with all sorts of collectibles that is unusable. OK you get the background.
So most things I throw out. I do have harder times with things that feel more meaningful, like my kids test papers over the years. ( 6th grade and up)
I have right now three very large boxes of newspapers. One day, I'll go through it and see what's interesting and pull it out. (sounds familiar no?)
I do have looseleeves where I keep different inspirational stories and poems that I do share each week with my family at the table.
Also, there is so much knowledge to be processed from topics discussed in those newspapers.
I want to keep it and reread it... I feel like someone else did the research for me... why should I get rid of it????
Those recipes that come with every Yom tov.. I want to keep that!!!!
So, even though I want to declutter my study, (and my kids have been begging me to just throw it out,) I have these three really large boxes of newspapers I can't seem to dispose of.
Is it genetic? is there hope for me?????

amother

Chocolate

Today at 9:13 am

I can totally relate. My father sounds the same way. Pick up a used office chair that was on the curb. Who cares if the arms are shaky he'll just tighten them. And he has plenty of money to buy a new one. My mother has similar tendencies so it's a disaster. She washes the disposable deli containers even when oily and reuses pickle containers.
I've tried helping them seller so many times but it never even makes a dent.
I work really hard on myself not to keep extra stuff. I might even take it too far cuz I'm so scared of being like them. I don't keep anything. I take pics of recipes and dump. My kids crafts I take a pic and throw out. Every Sunday the magazines and papers from shabbos are thrown out. I'm scared to let anything sit or it'll start collecting dust.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 9:30 am

Funny someone should mention an organizer. I had two organizers, top in the field, (you all know both of them), and it was a consult for the SAME ROOM. Like I was going to do the organizing but they would just guide me what to do. So I said when it came up to those boxes, I will throw out whatever I don't want...
I don't think it's a matter of organizing. The rest of my house is perfectly organized for the most part (containerized and labeled) Is it my ADHD did I diagnosed myself with months ago????

watergirl

Today at 10:17 am

You’re describing my father also. He goes through strangers trash cans and worse, at a shul kiddish, simcha, or restaurant, he will grab food off strangers plates that is about to be thrown out. He believes he is praiseworthy because “wasting is a sin”. No, he did not grow up food insecure. Yes, he has OCD, diagnosed, and he won’t hear of therapy or medicating. He was actually so offended by the diagnosis that he declared the therapist to be incompetent (he’s also a classis narcissist).

My response to how I grew up is tossing out most things.

Please ask yourself why the kids tests are so important for you to keep. What are you holding onto?

Get a simple scanner, they are really cheap. Pay a teenager to scan everything into files and throw it out. Newspapers, recipes, kids work - scan and discard the hard copy.

Hoarding disorder used to be seen and officially classified as part of OCD, however, the DSM Now consider it to be a separate diagnosis completely because there is less ritualistic thought pattern associated with it.

Still, hoarding disorder is under the anxiety disorder, umbrella. Anxiety disorders can be genetic so to speak, hoarding is not. However, if you grew up with a hoarder, then it is likely that that will be the manner in which your anxiety is manifested.

I know it is cliché on this site, but therapy is the first step I didn’t letting go of the hoarding.