Oh I know there are two categories of hoarders. Unfortunately when it gets to the point the wallet cannot afford to manage the collecting and the maintenance to keep life under control is when things go really sideways. As a chaplain I have seen my share of a variety of hoards when I am part of welfare checks. In the pacific northwest we really seem to have a large number of these calls. We have a greater rate of mental health issues per capita, some say its the weather.
And to be honest I have struggled with collecting and acquiring behaviors myself. The first ten years of marriage were tough for my husband as he stood there thinking "who the heck did I marry?". He didn't always understand but he stuck in there. Buying and acquiring is not always about getting what we need, or even what we like. It can be a source of self-soothing, a source of endorphin release during the act, a way to fill an emptiness from where a connection has been broken, a point of control in a life where one does not feel they have any. Releasing things that we have made such a personal connection with can be almost impossible. And now, it is only in the most stressful times have I felt that urge creep around the edges of my mind, but now I have the ability to recognize the urge is signaling a greater problem to be addressed.
Dottymo, I love you my dear, my heart and prayers are with you on this journey.