Collecting Can Turn Into An Addiction

Collecting can have positive psychological effects, but for some it can become uncontrolled, according to a Spanish researcher.

Collecting things such as stamps, toys, or jars can be a perfectly healthy hobby as long as it’s kept under control, says Professor Francisca Lopez Torrecillas at the University of Granada. Collecting is good from a psychological viewpoint, as it aids in developing perseverance, order, patience and memory.

But for people with poor social skills, low self-esteem, and difficulty facing problems, collecting can become an obsession.

«When people have this feeling of personal inefficiency, compulsive collecting helps them in feeling better,» Torrecillas said in a statement. In recent years, «a very significant increase has been observed of cases where uncontrolled collecting has caused obsessive-compulsive disorder and shopping addiction.»

According to Torrecillas, the traits found in people who enjoy collecting, such as perfectionism, meticulousness, and extreme order, are closely related to psychological disorders.

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