I have the opposite problem. My mother was a hoarder, so that's probably why I throw everything out. Even things I should keep I get rid of and sometimes later regret it.

For example, I had a plastic bin full of childhood writings and artworks from school that I tossed about 15 years ago. Lots of painful memories. Essentially, tossing out artifacts from my childhood that covered my first ten years was self-loathing and self-preservation wrapped up together.

The only way to combat your hoarding Buffy01 is to address the attachment disorder you have to your life's artifacts. Our things do not define us yet our consumerist society brainwashes us to believe that our self-worth is defined by external 'things.' That isn't true at all of course. It's good to have mementos from our life -- artifacts with stories -- but its not healthy to keep every single thing.

Plus, there is the fear of letting go. What I find though is a release of negative energy when I throw things away. I feel better when I have a clean, organized home environment. Clutter triggers feelings of anxiety in me. I can't stand clutter. I hate knick-knacks too.