GENIUS FORUMS

My collection has grown to over 4,000 books. My basement is full, but I can't stop buying books.
There is a secondhand shop on my way home from work. Every day there is new stuff.

Do you hoard anything else? Or just books?

If it is everything, then probably only a doctor/specialist can be qualified to help.

If it is only books, it reminds me of the story of a medical doctor in charge of treating heroin addicts in Vancouver, B.C. He wrote that the addicts couldn't stop themselves once they got on their routine to get the drug. But he himself had to admit that he couldn't stop himself from hoarding classical music CD's. He would read a review about amazing, new recordings, then buy more and more to the point that he bought them without ever listening to the music.

You can get hooked on almost anything that gives a physical response or reward to the brain, particularly if it is a stress-relieving habit. In the case of a collection, you then see it as an "extension" of yourself and probably love it sentimentally. In this case, the best advice I've heard is to "replace" it with a "higher" addiction - a purpose to your life dedicated to a higher goal, of course, if by the grace of Nature you are caused to do so.

just books?

no, i also download books & movies.

he bought them without ever listening to the music.

me too, I almost never do anything with them.


Thanks Eric.

If you are just buying random books and adding them to your collection without any fixed goal or reason, then you're probably trying to avoid thinking about something.

jupiviv wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:21 pm If you are just buying random books and adding them to your collection without any fixed goal or reason, then you're probably trying to avoid thinking about something.

Yes, reading & studying these books is hard to do. All I ever collect is high level science, math, and biographies & history.
My time as a student was a horrible time, and I struggled to get decent marks, especially in math. What could have helped
was seeing more worked-out examples of how to solve problems.

Some of the things I've done to manage my collections is to do a little organizing every day. Build a habit. You buy a book, you organize 10 books. I find once you start organizing, it actually becomes a rather enjoyable activity (for me at least). Group your items into alphabetical blocks (by author surname in the case of books) to save space by not requiring as many rows to walk in.

Another thing is if you have a book which you actually don't mind tossing, just download the digital version and get rid of it.

"Hoarding books, how do I stop"?

If I were to hoard anything, it would be books too. Your endeavor is clever!

Butt, the smart ass speaks blowing wind out of her ass...rephrase butt for but how's that?

Check for bugs around the books or in the pages of them. They accumulate in books and cardboard boxes and eat the paper.

My books are now stored outdoors in storage totes. The house needs to be sold, and hoarding is bad for selling.

My dear mom has had significant stroke this year and is now incapacitated. She suffered brain damage, now like a baby. wears a diaper, we wipe her butt, she talks baby talk, body is paralyzed.

My priorities are now different.

Maybe it is useful for something, the collection. Other people may want to read them? Put it out on the internet, a list of your books and maybe you can have your own library of some sort. Sounds very useful if you'd settle for what you have now.

Do you only hoard books?

I had to open this discussion even though it was not a fresh one because I truly and honestly connect to hoarding of books. When i reach a bookstore, it is like my legs and hands already know what to do and this is in addition to the quote of 4 books per month that I borrow from the local library and buy myself a copy of, if i enjoy it. And let me tell you, i do enjoy too many books. Right now couple of books on practical economics grace my stool while i am making my way through two Zadie Smiths (NW & On Beauty) at the same time. I also always have The Little Prince by my bedside. This is other than the piles of books lying around. Thank you for this space for venting.

If it's an actual problem, see a psychologist.

Unfortunately enough, I think it's the right thing to do! If it's possible, you may try starting a new hobby, be it book-related, or just, well, reading what you bought. It'll take your thoughts away from that, and you'll be able to get fun/pleasure from something else. I did hoard plastic models at some point, and I solved it by... building them instead!