Are You a Packrat too?

There can be a fine line between being a ”collector,” an “eccentric,” and a hoarder, which can represent obsessive-compulsive behavior and be a manifestation of mental illness. My late mother was a hoarder, filling her house with useless clutter, things which included old magazines and newspapers. Eventually her house had just pathways to walk through. When my sister or I tried to remove things, she became both defensive and highly irate. Being a “packrat” can become if unchecked a serious and even life-threatening problem…
 
In a way, I'm a packrat. I don't have tons of stuff all over, but I have boxes of what people might call "their junk drawer". Can you really throw out a nice piece of string or a paper clip, even though you haven't used one in 25 years. And you need scissors that won't cut, a few dead batteries, broken screw drivers, a ruler with all the numbers erased, parts from broken electronics, -things you just can't get rid of.
 

SandyR said:
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I am the exact opposite of a packrat. I am an extreme minimalist. I got rid of 90% of everything I ever owned several years ago. Very few possessions. I have what I need and love. That's it. Clutter and to many things bring me stress. Less is more for me. Also makes it very easy to clean the house and spiders have nowhere to hide. :)
 
My condo has just enough decor to be homey but not enough to be cluttered. It’s very easy to clean. It also feels good. After living with someone that was turning into a hoarder it’s a relief.
 
I am semi miniwhatever...when spouse died I went thru house
about a month after and cleared out everything I knew i would
not want to keep....need to do that again because of some clothes that won't fit, need new bath towels, need to throw
stuff out so the peeps that come to take me away won't have to do it.....:cool:
 

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