Tina,
Wow, this article really spoke to me and I had to respond straight away. I used to be a mildly compulsive buyer of 'stuff' - not so bad as one of TV's Hoarders, but enough that I suffered from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). I did it because I was very unhappy in my job, a real square peg in a round hole, and going out at lunchtime or after work to buy things eased the pain, but only for a very short time. The only way out of this destructive habit was to acknowledge that my life was going wrong and take steps to put it right, however scary that was.
On a lighter note, there is nothing so conducive to decluttering as having to pack your stuff in shipping boxes! (Like you, I'm English transplanted to USA.)
Thank you for this spot-on article.
Grace
