I Can't Stop Buying DVDs

[Nam]

I would have suggested smashing the trays  of all the DVD players in your home, but that may be a bit extreme.

Switching to Blu-Ray can directly address your current issue, here is a link that encourages you to do so http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----how-and-why-you-s_b_154840.html

(A few years later you can start another thread)

BTW, why aren't you buying CDs?

I have over 1,000 CDs but I don't have a music addiction.

Last CD I bought was last December. Last DVD I bought was an 8 film collection on Sunday.

-Nam

[Seppuku]

It is basic hoarding. I know you guys in the US have a TV show about it, unfortunately, I know very little about hoarding, so I am not sure what advice I could give. I know it's a psychological impulse. I might know more if I actually watch the TV show, maybe, but I point blank refuse to watch reality TV, except when it annoys people (like forcing my sister to watch Operation: Repo, because it is one of the most retarded shows out there).

But perhaps there is one thing you could try and that's distracting yourself with another hobby. You're a film buff and I suspect, given your numbers of DVDs it's a big thing for you. So instead of watching movies, try something else to help you gradually get off the addiction. I'm sure HAL could give tips on Model Railroads. Seriously though, what other things do you enjoy?

[Nam]

Writing but I've done that in excess. I also like reading but I read all the time. Right now I'm reading about every US recipient of the Medal of Honor, including those revoked. Even when I'm logged on here, I have another window open where I'm reading a book, or articles (old ones),  or what not.

The thing is, I only purchase specific books 'cause I'm quite particular, in such regard.

I used to like to go to amusement parks a lot but with my back pain and knee pain, just doesn't work out well in the enjoyment area.

I pretty much do the things I enjoy doing, it's just DVDs cost me too much money[1], and take up a lot of room.

-Nam

1.	collectively

[Kimberly]

Do you know the root cause of this behavior?

[Nam]

I think I mentioned above that it, initially, helped with my anger issues. It just went out of control after that.

-Nam

[Kimberly]

I don't think anger is a root cause. Usually something else triggered the anger... if you could identify that it may help. I don't need to know the answer.

[Mr. Blackwell]

I pretty much do the things I enjoy doing, it's just DVDs cost me too much money[1], and take up a lot of room.

-Nam

1.	collectively

There are TONS of movies online free for download. Ever thought of Winamp or RealPlayer?

Even the ones you have to pay for are dirt cheap. You can later burn them to disc if you simply must have a hard copy.

[Samothec]

It sounds like you've managed to suppress your hoarding behavior down to just the DVDs. It is a very specific type of obsessive-compulsive behavior. OCD[1] is a psychological coping mechanism to deal with stress. Hoarding focuses more on controlling one's environment - even though some people may look at what accumulates and think the opposite.

Switching to Blu-ray will not help. Financially it may hurt. Although that is changing.

Downloads don't provide an item and downloading then burning to disc has the potential to accelerate the problem.

What can help is setting rules for yourself - if you can follow your own rules.[2] In your case, setting a rule about watching everything you buy. With movie collections and TV series on DVD that can eat up time thus delaying your next purchase. Another rule to add would be just one item purchased in an outing and only two (or one if possible for you) outing per week. Yes, that leaves it open for you to buy a collection or a TV season but those take more time to watch than a single movie so it's not necessarily a bad thing. A rule about not buying a collection that contains a movie you already own can possibly help you get rid of some of the other DVDs if you want to get the collection.

These are suggestions and you will need to customize them for your needs.

1.	obsessive-compulsive disorder
2.	However, don't beat yourself up about not following your rules since that can help stress you out and defeat their purpose. If you can't follow a rule replace it with one you can.

[Nam]

I don't think anger is a root cause. Usually something else triggered the anger... if you could identify that it may help. I don't need to know the answer.

What are you talking about? I used movies to help relax me from being angry all the time, and for awhile it did relax me but then it stopped working.

Anger is not the cause of my addiction to DVDs.

Mr. Blackwell,

I don't do things like that. I tried it once, didn't take.

Samothec,

That's the way I see it, too. I condensed it to one specific thing.

I tried the "buy more, don't buy more 'til you watch them all" and it worked, for about 6 months than it didn't. Example: I still try that approach. I bought 2 50 film collections for $20 (collectively), but it only took me about 3-4 months to watch them all, and in that time period I still bought about 30 movies (costing about $15 total). I've gone to the store and not purchased movies, I even try to go to stores that wouldn't sell them but they all seem to sell them now, from convenient store to pharmacy.

Right now, I technically have enough to buy a DVD but I'm nic'ing[1] and that seems more important than buying a DVD. Sadly, DVD's will out shine my addiction to nicotine since the latter is more expensive.

-Nam

1.

nicotine

[Kimberly]

I don't think anger is a root cause. Usually something else triggered the anger... if you could identify that it may help. I don't need to know the answer.

What are you talking about? I used movies to help relax me from being angry all the time, and for awhile it did relax me but then it stopped working.

Anger is not the cause of my addiction to DVDs.

I asked you:

Do you know the root cause of this behavior?

You reply:

I think I mentioned above that it, initially, helped with my anger issues. It just went out of control after that.
-Nam

Anger is the symptom. You used movies to cope. Identifying the root cause of the anger would help you resolve the undesirable behavior. Or you could try better coping mechanisms. If anger is no longer the symptom then the behavior becomes the symptom and you have to find the root cause of that.

I'm not a Dr. but I've been through many years of therapy to overcome my past. I'm not a 100% there, but progress starts with identification.

[Aerial]

^ Yep, anger is usually (or quite often) a symptom of something else going on.