The world of Tzu Chi December 2020(Vol.129)

“Preserve the memory in the heart and not on an object. By changing our mindset, we can let go of our attachment to objects and free our hearts.” – Lee Voon Yee learned to de-stress through deep breathing techniques, exercises, and other methods. With that, her symptoms of depression and anxiety gradually subsided. “Besides hoarding, some people also fulfil psychological satisfaction and stress relief indirectly by controlling their food (anorexia) or through constant handwashing (obsessive- compulsive disorder),” said Voon Yee. Normally, people with hoarding behaviour will not see a doctor as it does not affect their daily lives. Patients usually seek treatment for symptoms of depression or anxiety, such as having sleepless nights and low moods. But often, doctors find these patients to also have hoarding problems. Whether a person has hoarding disorder depends on whether his daily life is affected. For example, emotional instability that leads to poor focus, poor work performance, rejection of social contact and so on. There are some indicators to assess hoarding. Some elderly may keep things due to an impoverished life when younger. Their behaviours are not necessarily related to hoarding disorder. On the other hand, when hoarding occurs due to a state of dementia, it requires attention from family members. Voon Yee said, “Collecting is an act that involves planning, and the collector does it with a happy mood, not in an annoyed or emotionally unstable state.” Learn to get rid of things People with hoarding disorder will get angry when someone quietly throws away their belongings. They would wonder why this happened and feel disrespected. Sometimes, they would dwell on it until they lose control of their emotions, have insomnia, and even be unable to work. Voon Yee reminds parents not to throw away things that their children cherish, especially their “stinky” childhood pillows or towels. She said, “I always tell parents to get their children’s permission or get a replacement before throwing away their stuffs. This has to do with their sense of security. A person who grows up feeling secure is more stable and grounded as an adult.” Some people would feel guilty in throwing away things that they had spent a fortune on or effort to buy, even though they TZU CHI 129 17 Decluttering–The Art of Living