Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
January 28, 2010

Hoarding is thought to be a mental illness but it may be linked to primitive instinct. Whether hoarding is a learned or genetic trait the survival instinct could be in response to loss or lack of.

If it is a genetic survival instinct it might be in response to a lack of food, water and shelter. Hoarding could therefore be called stockpiling, which can worsen and spin out of control in perceived dire situations and distress for instance if a housewife becomes a widow she may hoard out of fear of having lost her husband the provider.

People who aren't thought of as hoarders do stockpiling all the time. People stockpile things when it's hurricane season. Year round or in the winter people who have a fireplace may stockpile firewood in case they need it. Certain species of wildlife will stockpile food in case of a shortage. Squirrels will stockpile nuts. Pack rats will stockpile just about anything they can get a hold of and even insects like the ants will store food.

The basis of hoarding can be found throughout the spectrum of life but it may have varying degrees depending on abundance. For animals the abundance of hoarding depends on the weather and the impact people are having on their habitats. Droughts and flooding can vastly reduce food while people can harvest food through the finding and taking of natural wild growing foods or through the planting and harvest of sown foods. People also destroy food supplies by building structures in the middle of habitats or building structures throughout the whole of a habitat.

For people the abundance may have to do with the wastefulness of other people. What is tossed into the trash might be valuable to a hoarder and the free price tag makes it easier for a hoarder to acquire and stockpile. Other hoarders may skip the trash but find sources in yard sales and thrift stores. Non-thrift stores might appeal to yet other hoarders while a combination applies to still others.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...or_mental.html

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

In some instances it is, the MIL of a friend of mine hoarded old magazines and catalogues. Her house was packed so full you could barely get from one room to another, was frightening. But magazines are useless. They don't burn well, they can't be eaten, can't even wipe your ass with one decently. Then yes an illness. But other hoarding is wise. Buying foodstuff on sale, saving newspapers for firestarter. I save plastic bags and twist ties. I use them over and over, only toss them when I covered meat with them. So the difference is, do you use it? If you have 82 metric tonnes of Sears catalogue stored in your house, what is it's possible purpose? If you have 82 cartons of t.p. (not tooth paste) stored in your house, well yes, it will be used and you will pay much less for it today than you will tomorrow.

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

the tv show Hoarders is picking the extreme cases to put the word " hoarders " in the publics mind in a negative way

and later on, survivalists/preppers may be labeled hoarders

and the public may already have a negative perception of " hoarders "

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

Insurance: Survival Instinct or Illness?
Food in the House: Survival Instinct or Illness?
Saving: Survival Instinct or Illness?
Preparedness: Survival Instinct or Illness?

Check with the Boy Scouts on that last one, it's their motto!

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

Why does that darned squirrel take all my Walnuts?

How does he know to hide them away for winter?

What makes him think winter is coming, again, anyway?

Maybe that's why he's still there come spring...

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

This article dosen't mention real hoarders. They're trying to pass off common sense as a mental illness.

I had a friend that was a hoarder (not a pack rat). Definately an illness in his case. The junk he kept for the most part had no value for survival.

There was a small walkway to each room. His bed was semi-uncluttered. The rest of the house to the ceiling had dead batteries, newspapers, twist ties, paperclips, fishing weights, empty bottles and milk jugs, picture frames, pieces of tin foil, you name it. Cockroaches and dust ran that hovel.

Minimal food and water storage. No books, no music, a small TV. Tinderbox for a resting place. Constant allergies and sinus problems. Not really a home, but a prison.

That guy is a sick puppy and I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't on a watch list today.

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

Any activity that's incompatible with the New World Order is a "mental illness or a "phobia".

This is nothing more than a pre-emptive ad hominem attack on anyone who might not willingly fall into line. No one wants to be labeled, especially as mentally defective, so the manipulator uses this insecurity to control the thinking of the subject.

Eighty years ago most of the "phobias" were not even part of the English language. Take for example "homophobia", anyone who opposes mainstreaming this kind of behavior has a "phobia". Anyone who opposes the racial assimilation of the world is "Xenophobic" and so on.

Mind control.......

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

That was delightful Thrifty_bob :coolbeer:

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

I really never thought much of stockpiling till I became homeless. But now I can understand how the loss of everything or such a trauma like that could elicit such a psychological response.

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

QWAK, "I'm NOT CRAZY!!:10_1_19: The WORLD is CRAZY!":10_1_19: ---- that's MY story and I am STICKING to IT!:yes::111:

the DUCK :confused_ma:

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

Or, when their government goes on mass spending spree of its only accepted form of currency.

Re: Hoarding: Survival Instinct or Illness?
 

But only people with financial mental illness would hoard FRNs.

I'll take my year's worth of food over your 50-inch plasma screen TV any day.