Hi everyone

Have you ever watched the show, Hoarders? It is on A&E now.  It is a fascinating show about people who suffer from extreme OCD who hoard everything from amusement park memorabilia to pet rats.  I am sure they pick the most extreme cases because it makes for TV viewing.  Many of the people shown have their houses filled from top to bottom with stuff.  Some houses are so filled the person cannot get into their home because the doorway is blocked with a mountain of objects or trash.  I am almost feel guilty watching such a show because the people shown are clearly suffering.  I am not sure if they are helped on the show or if they even can be helped. 

I will be writing a post on this topic for the anxiety site this week.

It got me to thinking...do I have some hoarding tendencies?  I do have a lot of books but I am not afraid to get rid of some when I am running out of room.  I would say that in our house we have a lot of books, magazines, art supplies and toys. After watching a few of the shows on hoarding, I really wanted to de-clutter my home. 

What about you?  Do you find it difficult to throw things away?  Do you hoard anything?  What objects do you have the most of in your home?  What would you say the difference is between someone who hoards and someone who is a collector?  Was Michael Jackson, for example, a collector or a hoarder?  When is the behavior of saving things over the line and psychologically harmful?

Tell us your story.  We are eager to hear from you!