I’ve kept every childhood birthday/Christmas card since I was 11. When I was abandoned at age 9 by my mother I only had the clothes I stood up in, so I kept everything from when I was 11 and in a stable foster home. My foster parents used to spoil me and my foster brother and made Christmas feel good, They were older without children so they was reliving there childhood I think, but they always told me most things they brought me was mine while I lived there, I got many die-cast collectors cars and things were good from 11 to 14 years old until my foster mums father become ill with cancer and I was kicked out in a rough children’s home. I had to leave most things behind. I still have very bad rejection and amabdament issues now. So I keep everything and I’ve been told my bedroom is a fire hazard by my group home staff because I can’t throw things away, kinda like a hoarder.
I was abandoned twice by my birth parents and later by my adoptive parents. I was also abused. I don’t hoard. Every child who has suffered trauma copes in different ways. Yours is hoarding. Mine is eating. I’ve learned to address all the PTSD in a healthy way. While I’m not fully recovered emotionally and mentally, I can be relatively healthy now.
So sorry to hear this happened to you @bobbilly and @sweetpotatopie
I hope you’re both able to find ways to stop hoarding and eating too much.
I think despite what happened to you, you are two wonderful people. I enjoy your posts on this forum
@sweetpotatopie, I agree with @Qwerty, you’ve been through the wringer in life with your health problems and all, but despite it all you’re a genuinely nice person.
And @bobbilly doesn’t seem like a bad guy.
@bobbilly I am a survivor of abuse and domestic violence and the behavior of abuse survivors can manifest itself in many different ways. Some survivors can develop mental, physical or physiological problems in their lifetimes. Some can also continue what is called “the cycle of abuse.”
I think I’m also a hoarder because when I was a kid I was often very poor and my family couldn’t afford many shoes or clothes.
I do often give away a lot of my old stuff to charities though.