Technically, clutter is just a bunch of personal belongings that are in a state of disorganization. Where hoarding is taking clutter several stages higher and never throwing away anything or hang on to everything thinking that they will find a use for it someday. But never do and can't allow themselves to part with anything. Angie, you and I are both on that razers edge between the 2.
Oh heck I don't mind throwing anything away. It is more of my health and energy keeping me from going through it all. I think when I was younger I would hold onto things but as I age I find I care less about it as I have less hope of my life being anything other than it is (no family, just me, nothing changing, living here forever). With nothing to hold onto things for I have no qualms about throwing things out at all. In fact I have been desiring it more and more in the last year or so.
I personally differientiate clutter from hoarding this way : If you have like 1 spot for everything or just have more stuff, that’s clutter. If you have stuff that you can’t use anymore (more than a room or a table) or some equipment that you can’t use anymore because there is stuff blocking it, of that doesn’t work and u didn’t replace it, that’s hoarding.
I think that is an excellent description. My dad was border line but when he moved into his gf's his own house just was used to hold onto stuff because it was not in his way at all. When he sold the house to my brother he was able to get rid of all that he could not take with him.
Sandman I think you could throw things out easily but it just is not important to you to get rid of the stuff that has been with your family for generations. It is just you and no push to change things and you have access to all rooms and all things so for you it is just clutter. For my health holds me from getting rid of things but the main thing I have too much of is clothing but only because my weight has been unstable and I can't just afford to toss out clothes and then buy them again when I am that size again. However I have learned to let go of some as I realize I will never be as skinny as I once was. I kinda gave up on that by now. However, coincidently once I threw the small sizes out, my mom got sick, lost lots of weight and the clothes I had that would have fit her are now gone. Go figure lol! It never happens when you have the stuff just laying around.