Reasons People Keep Collections
Many people keep collections of antiques, coins, stamps, and dolls, among others. For some, this act is a hobby that they can drop or switch at any time. For others, the activity is compelling and may not be easy to do away with, even if they wanted. The explanations behind these fascinations vary from uncontrollable to controllable factors. They include emotional satisfaction, a revival of memories, and coping with obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD).
The first reason people collect and keep items is to achieve emotional satisfaction. As explained by McKay (2020), various emotional gaps can lead people into compensatory behaviors of collections. A person who has suffered because of poverty may collect much expensive jewelry. At the same time, one who has suffered in the hands of armed thugs may gain some satisfaction from accumulating many firearms in the house. The compensatory trend in these acts offers the collector a sense of emotional security and fulfillment.
Secondly, collectors use items to revive memories. For some people, various previous occurrences were so good that they should never be forgotten. Every time these people access such memories, their mood gets boosted, and they become nostalgic. As a result, they collect any item that can be associated with such a memory (Kring & Johnson, 2018). Examples of such collections may include clothes similar to those worn during the memorable occasion and coins like to those that were given by someone.
Lastly, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) can also push people into collecting items. An anxiety disorder, this state presents compelling obsessions that drive people into repetitively doing various acts. The acts satisfy irrational thoughts and quell different fears (McKay, 2020). To rid of such behaviors, OCD patients get treated through therapy and medication.
In conclusion, emotional satisfaction, a revival of memories, and coping with OCD explain the reasons people keep collections. They fill emotional gaps that were caused by previous occurrences. They also revive nostalgic memories that they cherish. Lastly, some of them suffer from OCD and act as a result of compulsive trends.