Does anyone have the urge to purge? it's like the opposite of a hoarding problem; compulsive purging

[LolaLove]

I constantly have piles of donations accumulating, waiting to be taken to various charities. I probably make about 5 or 6 trips a year to drop off donations, either at a thrift store or in one of those drop-off boxes in the parking lots. I also set up a very a complex recycling system and make several trips to the county recycling center for things that can't be picked up curb-side. I've started scanning pictures, letters, cards, etc. before tossing them in the garbage so I have even less stuff to deal with. This ocd stuff takes up a lot of my time and energy and it's always on my mind. I guess it's better than being a hoarder.

 

[SaharaSon]

I constantly have piles of donations accumulating, waiting to be taken to various charities. I probabl...

Yes LolaLove, I often feel the need to purge. I too, among other things, have OCD from my years in Libya. I am just trying to secure my, and other peoples, health and existence, after years of existential insecurity at an early age. My experience when I get around to purging things, is that the things that I have purged are exactly the things that I needed later. See, my life is cyclical, unlike most people who have a linear, evolving, existence. That is to say, I go in circles alot. It is a little like the movie Goundhog Day but in slow motion. So my purging is reduced to cleaning and organizing, cleaning and organizing, cleaning and organizing, when I am not contenplaiting the meaning of life, which is way, way too often. Happy purging. ;)

 

[MrMoonlight]

I can relate. I have real trouble with commitment and feeling trapped. Owning a lot of stuff to me feels suffocating for some reason (maybe a vulnerability). It can make me feel overwhelmed and burdened.

 

[LolaLove]

Yes, cleaning and organizing is all I ever do to relieve stress/anxiety and more importantly, avoid the things that REALLY need to get done. It does feel like I'm being suffocated. I hate the thought of having so much stuff that I forget what exactly I own. I am constantly re-boxing stuff and labeling it after getting rid of a few things first. I wish I could live like a gypsy in a trailer with minimal stuff and not feel weird or like an outcast (though I'm pretty sure most people see me that way already, lol).

 

[SaharaSon]

Yes, cleaning and organizing is all I ever do to relieve stress/anxiety and more importantly, avoid th...

Yes LolaLove, you have struck two cords again that I can relate to. I have so many things (mainly books) that I don't remember what the heck I have. Out of sight, out of mind. Its like Christmas when I open up, a box that I haven't opened in, say, four years. Heck I can't remember where I put something last week, let alone, four years ago. Same thing with my computer files. I also am a great labeler (except people, most of whom I can't figure out what to label them anyway and it is not nice, anyway) If not for a labeling system I would be lost. The more elaborate the better. Chow for now. ;)

 

[Deleted member 29920]

Yeah, it's actually a good thing, like you say, less stuff to deal with, my ex was obsessed with doing it but partly because she wanted to move abroad so it would make the move much easier without all that baggage! I'm not so great at it myself now she's gone :rolleyes:

 

[Deleted member 541]

In the past yr I have gotten rid of a ton of crap. Clothing I know I won’t wear, stuff that I haven’t looked at in awhile. I shred everything and recycle as much as I can. So, yes I’ve done a lot to lessen the load in my little world, but still I could do more....

 

[Fadeaway]

I am kind of envious of the the energy it takes to do all that. :D Way to go!

Me? I just don't accumulate much to begin with.