Published May 02, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

Not everyone will understand what this feels like.

To chase.
To spend.
To hide it.
To justify it.
To promise we’ll stop… and mean it… and still not stop.

This isn’t just about any one purchase: cards, sneakers or memorabilia. It’s about control. About needing to feel something—anything—in the middle of stress, shame, uncertainty, irritability, low self esteem, emotional insecurity.
And it’s so easy to believe that if no one sees it, then it’s not hurting anyone.

But behind so many of us, there’s someone quietly watching it unfold.
A spouse. A partner. A sibling. A friend.
Someone who doesn’t know all the details—but knows something’s wrong.
They see the unopened mail. The dodged conversations. The mood swings. The defensiveness. The silence when the fun is gone and only guilt remains.

The hobby might not talk about this part.
But we will—because this is real.

Your pain doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Even when you think you’re managing it alone, the weight of it still spills over.
And those closest to you—those who love you—are often the ones quietly absorbing the fallout.

That doesn’t make you a bad person.
It makes you someone who’s human.
Someone who got caught in something bigger than expected.
Someone who might need help finding a healthier way forward.

Collectors MD isn’t here to shame you.
We’re here to help you see the full picture.
To reconnect with the people—and the version of yourself—you don’t want to lose.

For you.
For the ones who love you.
And for the kind of hobby that brings joy—not pain.

#CollectorsMD
The people who care about you deserve to see you whole again.

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