In this article Dr. Natalia Voinov will deal with how you can break free from hoarding.

Hoarding or compulsive acquiring (and failure to discard) of a large number of possessions often starts in childhood and continues to impair one’s productive and healthy life. There seems to be an excessive saving behavior that often runs in families.

You may surround yourself with often useless or of limited value stuff to create a layer of protection between you and the outside world. This buffer, you believe, may keep you emotionally safe, physically warm and out of harm’s way. You may keep people away for people have only hurt you in the past. You may keep away all that’s undesirable and bad. You may isolate yourself to the point of complete withdrawal for you’ve been wronged and haven’t had the means to fight back. There is anger you’re experiencing but aren’t really sure how to express it appropriately, and just wind up hurting yourself.

However, there is help available. There is light at the end of this tunnel. You don’t have to suffer alone, you don’t have to feel helpless:

    1. Firstly, assemble a bag of typical saved items (junk mail, magazines, newspapers)
        and start sorting, organizing and removing the clutter.

    2. Secondly, remove items from the home (you’d need a cheerleader, a
        supportive person).

    3. Thirdly, go on nonacquisition trips to yard sales, a store and resist temptations to buy.

    4. Fourthly, consider advantages and disadvantages of acquiring something. You
        often think about the immediate benefits of acquiring something and forget about
        the costs of doing this.

    5. Fifth, find replacement activities that you consider equally enjoyable and fulfilling.
        What would you like to do instead of going to yard sales on Sunday?

To work systematically on your thoughts and beliefs, to channel those into more productive ways of coping, you should call Dr. Natalia Voinov, clinical psychologist, and together forge ahead into recovery from this painful condition.

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Free resources from Dr. Natalia

     How to Find the Right Psychologist

     Relationships

     Dealing with Abuse

     Staying Calm in the Storms of Life

     Dealing with Loss

     Conquering Emotional Turmoil

     Signs of Depression

     Free Yourself From Hoarding