Hi Everybody!
I've been looking through the many messages about being one who collects useless items, or about one who does so to prevent others from having something, or someone who is simply messy. I call them, respectively, "clutter bugs," "hoarders," and "packrats."
"Hoarder" seems to describe someone who collects and keeps many things, but is doing this to prevent others from collecting the same things. In other words, a "hoarder" is one with selfish intentions. An instance I can think of is on Ebay--some collectors rally for an obsolete item, and then proceed to outbid others, to claim the "prize." Unfortunately, the hoarder already has several identical items! Most hoarders boast about their collections, which are sometimes simply a waste of time to begin with, and really shows no joy or enthusiasm about the collection.
"Packrat" seems to describe someone who is plain messy--no observable order. Dirty pots and pans remain on the stove, and in the sink for days, for instance. A real packrat lives out here in the Mojave Desert. It is a rodent that makes a nest out of sticks, discarded trash from it's human counterparts, and sometimes other animal nest parts! Ironically, the real pack rat is orderly, and like all non-human animals, driven by instinct and limited intelligence.
"Clutter bug" seems to indicate someone who is obsessed with clutter to the point of being blind to both the possibility of disaster, and the possibility of danger to him or herself and their families. We see many news accounts of someone's home being destroyed by fire, but the firefighters can't get inside, because of the piles and piles of stacked newspapers, or other things. Sadly, this really makes life difficult, not only for the clutter bug, but also for the neighborhood, since homeowner insurance rates get higher, or it is unobtainable, due to one or two households in the same neighborhood, that are truly "junky."
Now, I think that one can have the qualities of one, or any of the above attributes. One can manage to have all three potentially destructive attributes, too.
I want to acknowledge true collectors. A true collector has a passion for what he or she is collecting. There is joy when a collector shows a friend or trusted visitor, the collection. A true collection is fully documented, and responsibility for obligations, such as licensure, or insurance for rare items, is paid by the true collector.
I know several antique automobile "nuts." One has a vast warehouse, where his old cars are parked neatly, bumper to bumper. He hires a mechanic, who has a shop near the warehouse, and "new" cars that are added to the collection can be inspected and repaired as needed. I think "Rudy" is a passionate antique car collector. All of the cars are registered to the state they are stored in, and he has insurance coverage on each vehicle. Rudy showed me his database, which not only lists the make, model, and date of manufacture of each car, but he hired a photographer to take pictures of the cars, too.
In contrast to this orderly collection, "Ed" is a hoarder, and borderline clutter bug. His old cars are in disrepair, and stand, sadly, in the wind and heat of the desert, outside. His inability to repair or manage time to work on these old cars, makes for a potentially dangerous situation, since oil leaks into the soil, and one is not certain if the leak comes from the oil pan, at the engine, or is gasoline, from the gas tank. He buys dilapidated cars, despite the fact that he really can't afford to repair them, or register the license plates, or even bring them up to near the level that Rudy brings his cars. Ed not only hoards cars, that Rudy or his counterparts, could buy, but the space the cars occupy, and the sorry state of the soil under the cars, could serve a better purpose. Ed shows no joy in collecting cars, but claims that someday, the value of these vehicles will increase, despite the bumps, dents, and leaks.
I'd like to hear feedback about my definitions of the common terms that people call themselves, under the "throw it out" banner.
Best wishes!
Mohabee
(Original Air Date: 02/01/06) Do you know someone who can't seem to get rid of their clutter? They keep newspapers, magazines, old clothes, and just plain junk thinking it will come in handy one day. Dr. Phil talks to extreme hoarders, who are embarrassing their families and destroying their homes. Nancy says her husband, John, is a packrat who turned their beautiful four-bedroom home into what she calls "the black hole." The house became so overcrowded with junk that they were forced to live in a trailer, and now the trailer is nearly filled to the brim! Will John and Nancy ever be able to live in their house again? And how is John's hoarding affecting their three children? Then, Misty saves every piece of paper her kids write on, and every article of clothing they've ever worn. Her husband, Greg, can't understand why she can't just toss them out. What's behind her inability to throw things away? Share your stories, join the discussion.
