I think hoarder's lives are made worse by their stuff ( filth, dirt, unable to walk through house, unable to use anything they own, stuff getting damaged by how badly it is stored, etc) Collector's lives are made better by their stuff. (friends, fun of searching, researching, and using collection, some though into how things are kept or displayed, and a home that is otherwise functional.) Just my thoughts. i have relatives who have the mental illness of hoarding, so I am unfortunately very aware of the costs to the family, and of how miserable the hoarders are. But thats how I distinguish between the two! Laura
Originally Posted by
Monroe
What is the difference between collector and hoarder? I would think a collector is perhaps a selective hoarder, and a hoarder has gone around the bend into a mega-packrat?