His famous work "Dead Souls" N.V. Gogol wrote for a long time, but meanwhile the traits of such characters as Manilov, Petrusha, Korobochka and Plyushkin still often guess in the character of the people around us. The last name is perhaps familiar even to those who have not yet read this wonderful novel. In honor of him, a term such as “Plyushkina syndrome” appeared, indicating a strong passion for accumulating useless and unnecessary things. It is generally accepted that it is one of the varieties of the disease called "syllogomania" - as psychologists call the manic desire to store various objects.
Plyushkina syndrome: symptoms
Those who wish can take a short test to determine how much this may concern them. So, Plyushkina syndrome can be determined by the following signs:
- A person in the closet (as an option under the sink or under the table) carefully stores a whole collection of various boxes, bags and jars from under ... anything!
- A special place in the house is occupied by a box (suitcase, bags) with things that have been gathering dust for more than three years and have long gone out of fashion.
- On the bookshelf (in the sideboard, cupboard) there is a whole set of various trinkets, figurines and souvenirs.
- On the balcony (in the garage, in the attic) there is an old refrigerator, a broken chair, a broken radio, an old lamp and other “necessary and extremely necessary” items.
- If you delve deeply under the bed, you can find bundles of old magazines, postcards from the Brezhnev era and a set of phonograph records that have nothing to listen to.
Of course, this test is a little comic, but if at least one statement has hit the mark, there is reason to think. In this case, Plyushkina syndrome either already exists or is rapidly approaching.
What triggers this behavior?
Plyushkina syndrome often occurs as a response to stress, severe shock, death, or betrayal of loved ones. According to psychologists, this causes a decrease in the activity of areas of the brain that are responsible for making decisions, and a person develops a fear of poverty. It sometimes happens that Plyushkina syndrome is inherited. It can also appear as a result of head injuries or brain operations. What is the difference between this syndrome and usual thrift? The fact that a thrifty person does not store useless things. But Plyushkin not only has a reverent attitude towards junk, but also literally drags trash from the street, putting incredible trash in the house, creating some kind of illusion of protection from the outside world.
Plyushkina syndrome: treatment
Fighting such behavior should be done gradually, but constantly. Clear all the trash in one approach obviously will not work - it is better to purposefully allocate half an hour every day and engage in "cluttering". If there is a difficulty with any thing, you should try to answer a couple of simple questions:
- How much do I need this thing?
- Does this item make my life more interesting (happy, comfortable)?
- How often will I use it?
- Where will I keep it?
If Plyushkina syndrome is found in one of your loved ones, remember - this is a disease of single people. This means that such a person needs to be surrounded with care and attention as soon as possible. The more he will be involved in the life of his family and the society around him, the less this disease will manifest itself.