Psychoanalysts claim hoarders refuse to give up their belongings because they attach emotional significance to them--that most hoarders have experienced moments of loss from which they can't really recover and they hang on to belongings that remind them of times before that loss.
Sometimes I wonder if the same isn't true on a smaller scale. I have a bunch of old toys I rarely use, but to which I attach a lot of emotional significance. I can't really bring myself to sell them on eBay, although I need the money for sure.
I've sold stuff in the past and regretted it. Likewise I've thrown out old clothes for no good reason and wished I'd kept them. But I'm not sure if I'm making myself happier or not by keeping junk around. (Wardrobe and camera gear--photography is my hobby.) Sitting on a few thousand dollars worth of camera gear I might not need and wondering how much I should sell...
Anyone have any experiences with this? Do you feel unburdened not owning stuff that just depreciates in value? Does unloading old belongings liberate you from the burdens of the past or just make you face your own mortality and the losses you've experienced head-on? If keeping something is indicative of living constantly with trauma does selling it mean you're trying to distance yourself from the trauma without overcoming it or does it just mean you're ready to move on?
Thanks.
Sometimes I wonder if the same isn't true on a smaller scale. I have a bunch of old toys I rarely use, but to which I attach a lot of emotional significance. I can't really bring myself to sell them on eBay, although I need the money for sure.
I've sold stuff in the past and regretted it. Likewise I've thrown out old clothes for no good reason and wished I'd kept them. But I'm not sure if I'm making myself happier or not by keeping junk around. (Wardrobe and camera gear--photography is my hobby.) Sitting on a few thousand dollars worth of camera gear I might not need and wondering how much I should sell...
Anyone have any experiences with this? Do you feel unburdened not owning stuff that just depreciates in value? Does unloading old belongings liberate you from the burdens of the past or just make you face your own mortality and the losses you've experienced head-on? If keeping something is indicative of living constantly with trauma does selling it mean you're trying to distance yourself from the trauma without overcoming it or does it just mean you're ready to move on?
Thanks.