Fact is there is scant evidence for pathological hoarding before the twentieth century. What we do know is that hoarding has meant different things to different cultures throughout history.
Indications are that hoarding is not new to humanity. It started in prehistoric times and offered a way to grab the necessities of life. It then advanced as a method of shielding and protecting items and valuables from the scourge of crime. Does this ‘haves vs have nots’ theme sound familiar?
Desperate Times Demand Decisions
When times seem trying, many flick to self-preservation mode and resort to hoarding. This basic instinct kicks in when we feel threatened, bordering on desperate. We do not want to rely on handouts from whatever governs or claims to control us. We desire to be self-sufficient in preserving our heritage and lineage.
Ancient Egyptian Pharos were both revered and honoured in life and death. In passing, these iconic figures were bound for fabulous things, which meant they needed all the trappings of the mortal world to promote their well-being in heavenly quarters. Festooned with discoveries of incredible wealth, history reveals that once-sacred pyramids were plundered by all and sundry. The ultimate hoarding environment, surely?
Pirate Treasure Hoarding
This popular pursuit was the vogue for several centuries. Pirates plundered merchant vessels on the high seas and then vanished over the horizon. Picture the scene of a modern day discovery of loot stolen and hidden for centuries. For example, pirate treasure discovered in Madagascar four years ago, included a 300-year old silver bar said to belong to pirates.
Knowing the whereabouts of the site of the ‘Adventure Galley’ for several years, the team, led by US explorer Barry Clifford believed that the treasure belonged to notorious pirate Captain Kidd. Everyone loves a story with intrigue and romance as the focus.
In “Neurohistory in Action: Hoarding and the Human Past,” historian Daniel Lord Smail suggests that we stop thinking of biology and culture as separate causes contributing to hoarding disorders.
Profiling today’s Hoarder
The compulsion to buy and store for future well-being describes the onset of hoarding. Surrounded by sweet thoughts of clutter hoarders do not really need, desired objects amass. Soon, it can develop into a full-blown hoarding encounter. Sentimentality often causes people to stow stuff away unnecessarily, after the departure of a close one, for example. It could also be down to the death of a loved one, or a severed relationship that went wrong.
In Today’s World, What causes someone to become a hoarder?
A good question deserves an honest response. People resort to compulsive hoarding for many reasons, including their mental, emotional, physical, and financial health shifting to the back foot. Considering that hoarding is an offshoot of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), this comes as no surprise.
Modern Living is Uncertain, even Threatening
Everyone experiences anxiety and fast evolving trends in everyday life do not help. Take the impact of an industry strike in the airline industry right in the middle of summer holidays, for example. This can be devastating for the traveller simply trying to travel elsewhere and enjoy quality time after a pressing work schedule.
Hardly the relaxing outcome anticipated, and experiences such as these can convert seasoned travellers into nervous hoarders. They simply want to ring-fence their private zone and ensure that they have a satisfactory outcome. If this means hoarding, let it be!
Being Without is Unacceptable
Concluding, those among us that have experienced what maybe regarded as avoidable shortages will take every measure to self-insure. If this means hoarding, so be it. It is all about survival and self-preservation. None of us like the command: “stand in the queue”!
