I break decades of silence to share my deeply personal journey with hoarding in this powerful, vulnerable episode. What began as a practical response to financial insecurity—ensuring my family always had necessities despite an unpredictable legislative work schedule—gradually transformed into an overwhelming burden that shaped not just my living space, but my family's understanding of possessions and security.
With remarkable candor, I trace how legitimate concerns about providing for her family led to couponing, stockpiling, and eventually pathways through accumulated possessions. My heart-wrenching realization that her children were learning these behaviors not through direct instruction but by observation underscores the generational impact of our unaddressed challenges. When health complications from pulmonary hypertension restricted my ability to do routine household tasks, the accumulation accelerated.
The emotional weight of hoarding manifested in social isolation as I rarely invited people to my home, hiding my struggle behind closed doors. The breakthrough came through vulnerability—admitting I needed help and accepting it from a friend who recognized the depth of the situation. The process revealed not just the psychological burden but the financial cost of hoarding: countless unused items with price tags still attached that represented money that could have funded savings, experiences, or other priorities.
For anyone struggling with similar patterns or loving someone who is, I offer hope through transparency. Breaking free began with a commitment to buy nothing new for thirty days and having someone to hold me accountable. Though still working through papers and old habits, I'm experiencing the lightness that comes with letting go. This episode reminds us that healing begins when we become quiet no more about the burdens we carry in silence.

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Carmen Wimberley Cauthen is an author, speaker, and lover of history, Black history in particular. As a truth teller, she delights in finding the hidden truths about the lives of people who made a difference - whether they were unknown icons or regular everyday people.
To Learn more of Carmen:
www.carmencauthen.com
www.researchandresource.com