I was watching TLC show on hoarders. The psychologists were saying that the tendency to be a hoarder may be a defect in a chromosone, and it may be genetic. Hoarding may be triggered by empty nest syndrome. One woman started hoarding when her son left home. To fill the void, she filled his room with all kinds of stuff that reminded her of him. When her daughter left home, she did the same with her room. Then, the dining room. She filled the empty chairs they used to sit at with STUFF, stuff stuff stuff. One of the insights was the fact that she realized that the hoarding had started 11 years prior when her first child left home for college, and her children had not come home for holidays since. However, there was a deeper issue of anxiety disorder from childhood... oh, I digress. It's just interesting how empty nest changes dynamics.