I'm a bit of a hoarder, too. As soon as I get rid of stuff, I realize I need it. Our problem in North America is that stuff is too cheap, and too plentiful.

In my case, it's junk. In your case, it's collectibles. Hmm. Maybe you're just a collector.

if you hoard because you don't want to waste things, donating them to a place that can really use them would be good.

Craigslist, feel good your stuff is being recycled not thrown out.

if you haven't used certain stuff like clothes, household things, in 6 months or more maybe it's time to give it away. there are lots of good charities to dontate to like: the salvation army thrift stores and spca, big brothers, dtes, vancouver rape and relief women's shelter. check it out. some apartment buildings have a place where tenants leave good used stuff they no longer want. really try to give it away to a good home.

- Take pictures of everything you "can't let go of". Keep these pictures somewhere safe (in digital format and hardcopy). Sometimes we hold on to things because of the memory behind them and not for the physical form.
- Make 4 piles: 1. Throw out, 2. Donate, 3. Sell (Craigslist, yard sale, flea market), 4. Keep.

I do try and donate everything I don't throw any in the garbage! It's just that I want to keep everything! I am too attached to my stuff! I am a Taurus.

I really changed my ways after my older relatives got to the age of being in senior's living. You see a lifetime's worth of stuff reduced to like a handful of books, some photo albums, and a small amount of irreplaceably sentimental knicknacks and that. Is. It.

I'm not saying that it taught me that degree of discipline, but it certainly clarified for me what I should and should not be packing around.

I got rid of most of my books, digitized my vinyl and CDs (and made backups), tossed out A LOT of clothes and stuff, took pictures of a lot of things and made photo albums (backups in the cloud).

But that's just me.

Think about it. If you had to go from where you are now to let's say one smallish bookcase of stuff that you could absolutely not part with, what would be in it?

It's great you're seeing your pack-rattish tendencies. If you do, then you're not a hoarder -- they can never see that they have extra stuff.

written stuff, articles I set aside, intending to read it some day, things I've written on scrap paper when ideas strike, even notes from classes I've taken. Is this why I can't clear my head? Information overload or do I have ADD or something? I collect stuff too but it's mostly ideas, words...It would take a long-ass time to digitize it all now but that would take up less space at least. What's more valuable, time or space?

Oh, I don't know if you have ADD or not, but I do know that it gets somewhat paralyzing when a to-do list gets big.

Perhaps -- this is just a suggestion -- you should not think of doing a massive purge of your stuff all at once. Of course that might feel like an overwhelming task.

But set aside a little bit of time, a few minutes a night, to read those articles you set aside. Chip away at the pile and don't fret about it. But be consistent and see what happens.

G'luck!