Hoarding

[Janice]

I've been watching the show, Hoarding: Buried Alive, on The Learning Channel. It's unreal to see just how much stuff these people hoard. In the extreme cases, stuff is piled higher than the actual people; so high that it becomes a health hazard. Many people lose their spouses and even their children due to this mental affliction. The majority of the people look so normal; not slovenly as their homes would indicate. Many therapists specialize in helping hoarders.

Years ago, my husband had our taxes done at his accountant's home. It was obvious that he or his wife had a hoarding problem, although not as bad as shown on this tv show. There were piles of stuff everywhere against the walls. This guy worked for the IRS for over 20 years, and I was shocked. Anyone see this show or see hoarding firsthand?

[OH Nuts!]

I've been watching the show, Hoarding: Buried Alive, on The Learning Channel. It's unreal to see just how much stuff these people hoard. In the extreme cases, stuff is piled higher than the actual people; so high that it becomes a health hazard. Many people lose their spouses and even their children due to this mental affliction. The majority of the people look so normal; not slovenly as their homes would indicate. Many therapists specialize in helping hoarders.

Years ago, my husband had our taxes done at his accountant's home. It was obvious that he or his wife had a hoarding problem, although not as bad as shown on this tv show. There were piles of stuff everywhere against the walls. This guy worked for the IRS for over 20 years, and I was shocked. Anyone see this show or see hoarding firsthand?

Yes me. I was a horrible hoarder. Hundreds of VHSs, XMAS card, gift wrap, dozens of boxes of Xmas Cards (they were on sale - would have taken me to 2030 to use all of them LOL), newspapers, food...I look back and I was appalled at how much of a borderline Collier's Case I was. I had mice and didn't even know it for months. With the advent of the computer, and just my general disgust over this pathology I purged a lot of stuff. I got rid of 80% my video casettes and 99% of the cards, XMAS stuff and newspaper. I also threw out a lot of furniture. Got rid of the mice with peppermint oil. They hate the smell. Now my apartment is fairly airy and spacious. Praise be to GOD I got to this point. Now I ABHOR clutter. Outside of my lease, birth certificate and a FEW other important papers I have any paperwork scanned. (Man's greatest invention IMHO the scanner)
Two good books also helped me with this: "Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston (she really has clutterers down to a t) and also "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh.

[Janice]

Yes me. I was a horrible hoarder. Hundreds of VHSs, XMAS card, gift wrap, dozens of boxes of Xmas Cards (they were on sale - would have taken me to 2030 to sue all of them LOL), newspapers, food...I look back and I was appalled at how much of a borderline Collier's Case I was. I had mice and didn't even know it for months. With the advent of the computer, and just my general disgust over this pathology I purged a lot of stuff. I got rid of 80% my video casettes and 99% of the cards, XMAS stuff and newspaper. I also threw out a lot of furniture. Got rid of the mice with peppermint oil. They hate the smell. Now my apartment is fairly airy and spacious. Praise be to GOD I got to this point. Now I ABHOR clutter. Outside of my lease, birth certificate and a FEW other important papers I have any paperwork scanned. (Man's greatest invention IMHO the scanner)
Two good books also helped me with this: "Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston (she really has clutterers down to a t) and also "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh.
I'm glad to hear that you've got it under control, Rich. I see the misery that some of these people go through. Many are living double lives. They come up with reasons why their friends and family can't visit them. On one show, a daughter visited her mother and was crying that her children (the grandchildren) can't visit. The house just wasn't safe and clean enough. Be proud Rich because I don't see many happy endings on this show. You did good. :)

[Seth]

I have one or two hobbies which elicits the occasional bit of stuff lying around that. Otherwise, I go through pretty much everything once or twice a year and chuck out stuff that doesn't get used. A couple things inevitably fall through the cracks but generally I'm a fan of things that have present practical use to me.

[Janice]

Here's a short video of an EXTREME hoarder, the one called Chris Expodes.

http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/hoarding-buried-alive-videos/

[spunkygirl]

I'm not much of a hoarder, but when it comes to books, I could be considered that LOL. My family is blown away by how many books I continue to amass. I do get rid of ones I don't read much though

[phoebe7165]

Janice, did you watch the one last night where that one lady didn't even have "paths" in her house to walk around, she would just walk on stuff to get to her bedroom. Then she said she had about 1,000-2,000 books!! It also said that she spends 6 hrs a day shopping!!

Well, my mom is a mild hoarder, but she's not as bad as the people on TV. Her kitchen, family room, 2 bedrooms & garage are so full of crap though. The thing that gets me is she was addicted to buying stuff from QVC and Home Shopping Network. She buys them, opens the box, doesn't even take it out to use it, then she puts it in some room. It drives me crazy!! We've had a yard sale the past 2 Sat. and I'm finding stuff in her house that she bought 6-8 yrs ago, that she's never used!!!

Then with the excuses of why she has to have it, and then I watch Hoarders, and they have their excuses, too, why they have to keep their stuff.

In a way, it's a blessing in disguise, because it keeps me from being that way. One of the things I'm anal about keeping cleaned and organized is my kitchen and garage.

[browneyes106]

I have watched both Hoarding and Hoarders a few times. I have two aunts that are hoarders but they kept everything mostly in boxes. One of them is addicted to shopping. The other is into certain hobbies that require a lot of supplies. Their spouses and kids are basically used to their hoarding.

[Family Ties Forever!]

It's really sad. It seems to really affect not only the person who is the hoarder, but their family/friends as well.

Dr. Phil Hoarding Special
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OePmQQ9pfGY
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmkbA5Nl8o
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxAeUooXhY
Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhlF10I-J7I

[OH Nuts!]

I'm glad to hear that you've got it under control, Rich. I see the misery that some of these people go through. Many are living double lives. They come up with reasons why their friends and family can't visit them. On one show, a daughter visited her mother and was crying that her children (the grandchildren) can't visit. The house just wasn't safe and clean enough. Be proud Rich because I don't see many happy endings on this show. You did good. :)

I swear to God, you are the nicest lady alive. What a sweet message. Yes, I so totally ID with that lady. I lived in fear when the super had to come to my apartment to install a CO detector. I had to clean like a fiend for 2 days straight. And yes, I NEVER (almost never) had anyone over. Every time anyone came over I had to clean for the entire day. It was horrible. I'm still a long way from Felix Unger but I'm so much better - now I can get the place pretty presentable in 3-4 hours. A big change. And when I said the entire day I mean like 16-17 hours.

[OH Nuts!]

I have watched both Hoarding and Hoarders a few times. I have two aunts that are hoarders but they kept everything mostly in boxes. One of them is addicted to shopping. The other is into certain hobbies that require a lot of supplies. Their spouses and kids are basically used to their hoarding.

My weakspot was collecting for hobbies and holidays. And VHSs - but now thank God - the hoarding of this kind of crap is OVER!!! What happens, is the stuff ends up owning you rather than the other way around.

[Janice]

It's really sad. It seems to really affect not only the person who is the hoarder, but their family/friends as well.

Dr. Phil Hoarding Special
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OePmQQ9pfGY
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmkbA5Nl8o
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxAeUooXhY
Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhlF10I-J7I
I watched all of those. They were interesting. I feel bad for everyone involved, including the hoarder. It's like she's an alcoholic or adug addict. There's no getting through to her. Thanks for posting. :)

[Janice]

Janice, did you watch the one last night where that one lady didn't even have "paths" in her house to walk around, she would just walk on stuff to get to her bedroom. Then she said she had about 1,000-2,000 books!! It also said that she spends 6 hrs a day shopping!!

Well, my mom is a mild hoarder, but she's not as bad as the people on TV. Her kitchen, family room, 2 bedrooms & garage are so full of crap though. The thing that gets me is she was addicted to buying stuff from QVC and Home Shopping Network. She buys them, opens the box, doesn't even take it out to use it, then she puts it in some room. It drives me crazy!! We've had a yard sale the past 2 Sat. and I'm finding stuff in her house that she bought 6-8 yrs ago, that she's never used!!!

Then with the excuses of why she has to have it, and then I watch Hoarders, and they have their excuses, too, why they have to keep their stuff.

In a way, it's a blessing in disguise, because it keeps me from being that way. One of the things I'm anal about keeping cleaned and organized is my kitchen and garage.
No, I haven't seen that show. I watch them On Demand, so I'm seeing past episodes. They show four at a time, and a couple drop off weekly, so I'm sure I'll end up seeing it. The woman's house sounds like a bizarro libray. It sounds like your Mom is a hoarder for sure. Taking up so much space would drive me crazy. Yeah, the excuses that hoarders give. One woman said that if she gave the stuff away, she'd feel that the people wouldn't love her anymore. She equated the stuff with love. It's all very sad. I see a lot of shows where parents, usually a mother, is a hoarder - and her son or daughter will be hoarders too. It looks like you dodged a bullet. I'm happy for you as it's no way to live. Good luck. :)

[Janice]

I swear to God, you are the nicest lady alive. What a sweet message. Yes, I so totally ID with that lady. I lived in fear when the super had to come to my apartment to install a CO detector. I had to clean like a fiend for 2 days straight. And yes, I NEVER (almost never) had anyone over. Every time anyone came over I had to clean for the entire day. It was horrible. I'm still a long way from Felix Unger but I'm so much better - now I can get the place pretty presentable in 3-4 hours. A big change. And when I said the entire day I mean like 16-17 hours.
Thanks Rich. I'm really really happy for you. It sounds as if you were fighting a lonely battle, that you ended up winning. Some people end up losing everything as it can become a fire and/or a health hazard. A lot of these people have big houses with barely any walking room, a bunch of cats, and dead mice and bugs everwhere. I'm glad you ddn't get that far, and you beat the beast. :)

[Family Ties Forever!]

I watched all of those. They were interesting. I feel bad for everyone involved, including the hoarder. It's like she's an alcoholic or adug addict. There's no getting through to her. Thanks for posting. :)

You're welcome. :) It was sad. It became like an illness for the woman.

[phoebe7165]

I see a lot of shows where parents, usually a mother, is a hoarder - and her son or daughter will be hoarders too. It looks like you dodged a bullet. I'm happy for you as it's no way to live. Good luck. :)

Thank you, Janice, I really appreciate that!!

Somebody once told me that the reason my mom is the way she is because maybe she didn't have a whole lot when she was a kid, and she making up for it as an adult. It also seems that cleanliness skipped a generation, because I'm pretty good about keeping my house clean, and my grandmother(my mom's mom) was always cleaning her house, too!!