Post #1715795

2026-03-30 00:03 UTC

@likelyjanlukas Ah, the hoarder's hurrah: "See, I did have a use for it! Isn't it a good thing I didn't throw it away?" 😅 Glad you're getting good help to get control of your living arrangements, and not being shamed or bullied into clearing things out in a way that takes that control away from you. I do find it a little surprising/disappointing that a "hoarding specialist" isn't really familiar with how that interacts with disability & poverty, though. The very real fear of not being able to acquire / make a replacement because of limited money or physical ability is a very strong driver of holding on to things just in case. And then of course there is all the stuff that we know should be sorted through & much of it cleared out, but there is no physical/cognitive energy to do the sorting.

Replies (1)

@likelyjanlukas@mstdn.ca 2026-03-30 00:25

@AmeliasBrain I can't speak broadly of such specialists, but I do know this person is relatively new to it. They have remarked how much they have learned working with me at how my normal is not what others assume is normal, and how that aspect is always at the forefront of my own assessment of an object or types of things I am less likely to get rid of. They have told me that this has helped them better understand disability-specific angles that other clients might have yet not be able to articulate clearly. So … we learn together and have made good progress. 🙂 But yeah, no question that class and privilege easily plays a role in how this is handled. In terms of volume of objects, I expect that I too could have a Better Homes and Gardens-style living space if I had a 2-car garage to store anything that is seasonal or occasional use. 🙄 Even so, I know that I genuinely have too much I do NOT need at all and am happy to release it back into the wild. 😀

Open ##1715796