4. It Could be a Brain Disorder
It’s now thought that the tendency toward excessive hoarding might be caused by a faulty gene, which in turn changes the way that the brain develops. This might be caused by a genetic vestigial leftover. In short, it would have once been very advantageous to hang onto items that might at some point have some value or worth.
Back then, we were talking about food supplies and maybe a few stones that could be turned into weapons. The very same impulses that helped us survive back then though, are highly destructive in a world where we have a huge surplus… everything.
There’s actually a support group for people with serious hoarding tendencies, which may be helpful, but also demonstrates just what a serious matter this is. Fortunately, it also tells us that while the condition might originally be genetic, that is not to say that there aren’t things you can do to help get it back under control.