Aspergers and Hoarding

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Does it come in hand?

Any Aspie in here a hoarder?

I'm bit of a printer hoarder.

I'm not really a hoarder. I know I tend to hoard things I have because I have a hard time letting stuff go. I finally got rid of some more of my clothes and some books and DVD's and two CDs. I gave them to my inlaws and my sister inlaw and niece and nephew and I told them they can go through it and take as much as they and anything they don't want they can give to Goodwill.

Now my husband finally got rid of my coat and he was finally able to have me let go of it. He said it took him three years to get me a new coat and get rid of my old one I tend to wear clothes and undies that are worn out and get holes in them. I even have a Teletubby blanket that is ripping but I finally sewed it up and then I see another rip in it and I think "oh no, more sewing to do." I know it needs to be thrown out too but I feel too attached to it. I feel it's still useful because it can be sewn up and still cover yourself with it. It was the same with my winter coat too even though it didn't zip up and the pocket was ripped inside and so was the sleeve. But I could still cover myself in it.

I find it hard to toss stuff out. I still do it but it takes me a long time. Same as getting rid of stuff. Sometimes I feel I can relate to those people on Hoarders because I can't imagine having to toss out lot of my stuff rather it's food or trash or boxes or tons of bikes or whatever. I just can't imagine a hoarding mob coming to my apartment and trying to have me toss out stuff I like that isn't even trash. But luckily I am not considered a hoarder because my apartment is not filled with stuff you can't move around in and to be a hoarder, you have to have stuff all over you can't even get in the rooms or get around in our home and it's very hard to. If you hoard things but it's all organized and in bins you can still get in the rooms and move around in your home, you are not a hoarder according to the doctors.

I collect computers and gadgets. It's an expensive hobby!

I collect Kinks merchandise and I used to collect Routemasters. CDS and LPs take up less room than Corgi toys.

Anyone can be a hoarder, even Neurotypicals. Its not an Aspie thing.

Unless you have them "in a hidden or carefully guarded place" ...

... I would suspect we are merely accumulators and even that very few of us are actually collectors.

Hoarding is NOT an ASD trait that I know of... I have become rather the opposite of "horader" in my life. My house is nearly empty right now. I like no clutter around at all in fact. My interests allow me to go very deep without having a lot of physical equipment. I have 2 high end classical guitars and all the sheet music I can ever learn in my lifetime, a few computers and all the software I can use and a fully equipped gym in a room in my house. Those things keep me very happy and I want for nothing more. Besides I freak'n hate shopping and to be a hoarder, you almost have to like to shop.

Asked with a friendly smile: Do you think "more than just one of each" is just as typical of NT people?!

She did not say nor implied she thought her desire of an uncluttered environment was an ASD trait. Why are you twisting her words like that? If this is personal between you and her, or just with you, I will ask you, with a friendly smile, to drop it. It smacks of bullying. If you are going to quote someone, don't splice and trim their words like that to exaggerate what they said to make the person look silly or bad. Do I need to say how that makes you look?

I will also say this: too often people ask questions like this, where the OP assumes, or others assume, that it should be something all people on spectrum ought to relate to too. And I think some clarity on what's diagnostically ASD often needs to be reiterated, especially with something like hoarding, which if neurotic and not just the result of executive dysfunction or a narrow interest gotten out of hand, that clinically is not defined as an ASD trait but more in the OCD sphere.

And to answer the OP: I'm an Aspie, but not very OCD, so I do not technically hoard but I do have interests that have driven me to collect far more stuff than I could handle, and my executive dysfunction makes it hard for me to manage the clutter. I have no issue with letting things go, when I get motivated and organized to throw stuff out! I WISH I had have an uncluttered home like kfihserx. An organized, clutter-free environment is so nice--clutter tends to distract me too much. I can get my living space cleaned up and organized by it doesn't last--as soon as other stresses, like work or bills, start getting to me, it's harder for me to keep my living space orderly. And the more disorderly it gets, the harder it is for me to cope with it.

Last edited by Mercurial on 19 Dec 2010, 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think indeed it goes hand-in-hand, but let me say that hoarding and collecting to me, are completely different...

A "hoarder" will obtain and obtain and obtain a variety of goods of whatever nature; from magazines to roofing tiles to old plastic spoons. He/she probably won't be able to discard anything; treasure nor trash. But a collector has more of a focus on a specialty... May have 400 old TV sets from the 1950s, or may have a ranch full of 1984 Toyota Corollas with Diesel engines, but will not have bags of trash from 1993 stuffed in a closet. A collector's house is typically (in my experience), clean, neat, and orderly with no outdated food in the fridge, and only clothes which are in regular use and proper fit, and will not keep things "in case it comes in handy some day". A hoarder might forget that you can go down to the store any day to buy a ball of twine for $3, and in stead will save and tie together 800,000 little pieces of twine scraps, etc.

I collect old TV sets, air raid sirens (YES, the big 500-lb sirens on top of phone poles!! !!), and Toyota Diesels from the 80s. But every one of the vehicles has current license, insurance, and I maintain them in good physical and mechanical condition (not falling to waste & ruin in the elements, as a hoarder might allow). All of my old TV sets are clean, assembled, and functional, and not just heaped in a back room. The sirens are also in good order, although I am in the midst of restoring two of them which are apart out back.

My rule is: If there's something sitting around that I don't need in the next 365 days (clothes, furniture, appliances, etc), I will give it to the Salvation Army or throw it away. I can get another of whatever it is, if I suddenly need one in 2047. A hoarder won't think that way. If I lose interest in one of the items in my collections, I will trade it off to another collector, or sell on eBay.

Charles

I did not say she has said anything, and neither have I twisted anyone's words! Get a grip. Personally, I am quite similar with my own accumulation, collection or hoard or whatever-anyone-might-call-it of musical devices and computers and gym equipment.

You never know when that half-broken-thing could come to use

I'm just about the opposite of a hoarder. Throw it all out. Life to me is confusing enough, I don't need piles of clutter screaming at me also.

wow dudes... Seriously confused here so please have understanding...

The title of the thread is "Aspergers and Hoarding" and the first question in the post is "Does it go hand-in-hand"

I tranlstated that to "is this an ASD trait"

WRT me having more than one of each of the things I mentioned.... I never thought of that as hoarding. I am pretty black/white and "hoarding" is more reserved for the messy houses and stuff I see on TV Or for people who have things sitting around that they truly will never have any time to touch. I make use of everything I have and when I collect something that I do not use in 6 months, I sell it. (happens occasionally) Perhaps this is an adaptive behaviour though? IDK... I am sort of new to all this.

I would appreciate if one of you can clear up what I said wrong though to get such response from a few of you.

I certainly had not meant to imply you had said anything wrong at all. Nevertheless, it could be said I wrongly shared a chuckle at myself at your expense ... and for that, I do apologize.


My own issue with certain uses of the term "hoarding" is the simple fact there is actually nothing at all wrong with having necessary supplies (such as backup computers or a second guitar or whatever else) safely stashed away ... and I get defensive about that because of ridicule misunderstandingly tossed at me for storing food prior to Y2K.

Ah.... Okay cool. I am being oversensitive I suppose. Used to getting hammerd without understanding so am very careful about that now. It's all good.