Difference Between Collector and Accumulator
Both collectors and hoarders buy more things than they can claim to “need” and may be reluctant to part with what they have. And they can both fill their homes with items of their choice. So where is the line? Why do we view one as a hobby and the other as a mental disorder?
Hoarding disorder has only recently been recognized as a mental health condition , gaining recognition in the DSM-5, published in 2013. It was then that it received an official definition, although many questions remain. Psychologists are still unsure whether collecting can turn into hoarding or vice versa, and the causes and best treatments are still not fully understood.
What is hoarding?
The main symptoms of hoarding disorder are the compulsive acquisition of new things, the difficulty in parting with things you already have, and the almost complete lack of organization of the growing amount of accumulated things.
Collecting, on the other hand, tends to be more controlled. Collectors may still struggle with parting with their favorite items, or may buy more items than they might need to. But they also take care of their collections, systematizing them and admiring them. Here are some more differences.
Collectors tend to be more organized.
One of the biggest differences between collectors and hoarders is that hoarders tend to see clutter building up in their homes. Items accumulate in heaps and a person may forget or not know what he has.
Collectors, on the other hand, usually organize their finds. Instead of items strewn around the house, they may have a closet or room dedicated to collected items. Items can be displayed, positioned, or sorted in a particular way. According to a study that polled both collectors and people with hoarding disorder, 95% of collectors organized their belongings, while less than half of hoarders said they did.
Collectors take care of individual items
In the same study, collectors were more likely than others to search for specific items and try to learn more about the items they were collecting. The misers are less deliberate in acquiring them. They are more likely to see things and decide to purchase them than to decide that a particular item is missing from their collection and search for it.
Collectors also tended to have a theme for their collection – usually a fairly narrow one – and they tended to plan out what they wanted to collect next. Only 55% of collectors said they collect items that can be obtained for free; 95% have purchased items for their collection. On the other hand, 70% of hoarders collected free stuff and 87% bought it.
Accumulation interferes with a person’s social and home life
Collectors can chat with others about their hobbies, make friends with other collectors, and discuss the things they collect. The study also found that collectors were more likely to be married and lead a healthy social life. On the other hand, hoarders are more likely to be socially withdrawn and their condition will affect them at work.
Keepers also worry about their mess, while collectors are more likely to report that their collection brings them joy. This is facilitated by a lack of organization: the room in which the collection lives is generally still “functional” as a room, while accumulation tends to result in piling up of things that make it difficult to use or move around the house.
To meet the diagnostic criteria for hoarding , a person must experience “significant distress” at work, social or home life due to hoarding. The clutter often builds up to the point where parts of their home no longer function (for example, they can’t get to the stove to cook something), adding to the stress.
Treatment for hoarding disorder usually involves talking therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Underlying anxiety about getting rid of things or not wasting things can be hard to get rid of. If you or someone you know has problems with hoarding, seek psychological help.