Anxiety from giving things to charity

[Haruka]

So, I sort of have a hoarding problem, it isn't extreme to the point where I keep trash, but I still have a hard time giving up some things. Well, recently I was going through some stuff, and I have stuff in a bag for charity and a few of those things are soft toys, that I thought are cute and would love to keep but I don't have the room, and they aren't that special anyways. For some reason though, I still have the urge to go back and grab these soft toys from the bag and keep them and I don't know why! It is making me depressed and frustrated because I don't know why I want to keep them so bad, when i have more special stuff I want to have room for. I keep on telling myself that I don't need them, and I am not going to get them out of the bag. Why is this depressing me as much as it is when these are just little soft toys I got from a crane machine, and they don't mean that much?

[MidnightCalm]

I'm the same, I would've taken them out by now, maybe it's not anxiety, maybe you just want to keep them and you're distressing yourself because you keep saying no for the fact that they have no special meaning. They're cute, there's your reason for not being able to get rid. x.

[onceagain]

They don't mean that much but you still remember where you got them from, it is part of you and sometimes the things around us make us feel safe and secure, it doesn't have to be logical, why would a baby want to suck a blanket for example.. because it makes them secure and safe with that battered up familiar blanket.

Don't be too hard on yourself.. hugsx

[Haruka]

Thanks you guys it makes me feel better with what you said. I still have a lot to give to charity, I hope that I stop feeling bad, and it doesn't hurt as much the more I give away. I suppose I need to look at all my cute soft toys that mean something that I am keeping, and realize that it was them or stuff with less meaning.

[paulaf]

I get a panic sometimes when I have thrown clothes out then I think 'should I have kept that / what if I have thrown something out by mistake along with the other stuff?'. I think that hoarding is something you can do when you have an anxiety disorder and it can be a kind of form of OCD. I find personally that when I have a clear out I feel kind of free and detoxed - you will probably feel much better if you do this.