Hoarders

**stinkbug** · 08-24-2009, 09:21 PM

Anyone watch this new show on A&E??? I watched last week and it's on tonight. Interesting and sad....and weird. I hope these people are getting the professional help they need......Some of these people are in danger of losing their children, homes, etc.

**Michelle68** · 08-24-2009, 10:05 PM

I've watched these shows and, as a home health care nurse, I've been in these types of homes. It is very sad and depressing.

**McD** · 08-24-2009, 10:22 PM

I watched bits and pieces of it yesterday and I had an overwhelming urge to get up and clean my house. Seriously, it made me feel icky just watching it.

I felt so bad for those little kids having no choice but to live like that.

**dschipman** · 08-24-2009, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by MrsMcDowell

I watched bits and pieces of it yesterday and I had an overwhelming urge to get up and clean my house. Seriously, it made me feel icky just watching it.

I felt so bad for those little kids having no choice but to live like that.

Totally felt this way too. I thought my DH's parents where hoarders, but OMG....nothing like that. All I can say is WOW!!!

**gratitude** · 08-24-2009, 10:53 PM

I watched it last week, gave me the same urge to clean as well...can't watch it tonight though, cause now I am on my frugal challenge and I downgraded my cable to the cheapest package....now to figure out if Hoarders is going to be shown on hulu at some point!!!!!!

**WV_mom_of2** · 08-25-2009, 07:30 AM

I watch it and I think it's very sad. The woman last night who was talking about shopping to deal with her grief, that's so me! I am not a hoarder, but when my grandma died I shopped til the credit cards dropped!

I feel really bad for these people. They all have underlying problems that lead them to the hoarding and I hope along with a clean house they get the help they need for those problems as well.

**Dancing Lotus** · 08-25-2009, 08:27 AM

I thought my mil was a hoarder but some of the people on this show make her look tidy. I admit I am a shopper but I'm not a keeper. I either sell it, give it away or toss it when I'm done with it.

**rosey7415** · 08-25-2009, 08:48 AM

i am totally adicted to this show. it is like a trainwreck coming and you have to see it. in a very minor sense i can relate to some of it. not the hoarding part but the getting rid of (good) stuff. not talking about papers and soda bottles, but good items. i can so relate........so it is kinda scary to me that i have that same issue. groan..............

**Pemberleyan** · 08-25-2009, 08:51 AM

I would watch it if I got A & E, but we also had to give it up when we lowered our satellite package, but if it's anything like other stories I've seen, it is really sad.

**semo_mom** · 08-25-2009, 08:59 AM

I know someone who is one and it is very sad. She has these people topped. It has got much worse in the past 10 years for her. She owns her own home in the country so she isn't in danger of losing it, but I did wonder if someone called the Health Department if they'd do anything. Hers is mostly clothing, but she buys many other things too.

She has a huge house, I'm not sure of the square feet but it's very big and every single room is full. Floor to ceiling and only a few have a small walkway. Even the bed had stuff piled up on one side, only room for one person to lay down, but now that room isn't even used.

She also has many outside storage units including a tractor trailer, 2 mobile homes, 2 shops one that's big enough to hold two semi trucks, and three portable warehouse units and every single one is packed to the gills just as her house is.

I really feel sorry for her and wish someone would actually make her do something. The last time something was really said was when her second and third grandchild was 1 year old. She was informed that none of the family would be coming over anymore because of the condition of the house and it only got worse after that. She's an older lady and her kids often wonder what's going to happen when she passes. 'Just strike a match' is often the comment. I once heard her say that she got this from her mother, but oddly enough each of her kids are huge neat freaks.

I kinda feel bad posting this but it truly amazes me along with everyone else that has seen it. I mean no harm by my posting, just wish she'd get some help.

**MaryCarney** · 08-25-2009, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Michelle68

I've watched these shows and, as a home health care nurse, I've been in these types of homes. It is very sad and depressing.

I am ALSO a home health care nurse, and DITTO!

I wanted to slap that therapist last night for letting the woman get away with the pace that kept all of the FREE HELP standing around twiddling their thumbs!!

If you have BBC America as a cable/satellite choice, the show "How Clean is Your House?" is similar but with a focus of 'we're cleaning this up and you have limited time to decide what to keep' and on Style network the show "Clean House" also redecorates.

I thought Clean House would be stupid, (we had the channel only briefly as a free preview) but the host actually is so insightful as to why people get this way. This came as a complete surprise to me, as the host ALSO appears on Reno 911!!! Who knew??

I am in the midst of cleaning out closets and getting rid of junk as part of a challenge (the Dirtry Dozen challenge on FV) and as part of (hopefully) getting moved if/when our house sells. Every time my kids start whining about how much work it is (although truthfully, I am pretty good about not hanging on the much stuff) I remind them that the people on those shows started with just one thing, and once the snowball got rolling, were unable to stop it.

**dmarie** · 08-25-2009, 09:14 AM

After watching that show i had the urge to clean all the closets, and decided the stockpiling I'm doing might be the wrong approach for me i seen some things in that show that could be easily me.

**stinkbug** · 08-25-2009, 11:55 AM

The phsycology behind it is interesting to me. I have a friend with several of the *symtoms* and traits of a hoarder, and I've helped her try to keep it under control. But she is borderline and due to her living situation, I see her getting there eventually. I'm a clean freak, so it just makes me shudder.....
Last week dh was out of town and I had left some dishes in the sink...just me, just a few. I was watching the show from bed and had to GET UP and go clean up the kitchen and scrub all the counters, etc. before I could sleep!!!
I cannot imagine what those places must smell like

QM · 08-25-2009, 12:19 PM

I watched last week and yesterday evening's Hoarders on A&E. What I felt was interesting is that hoarders do a lot of similar things as people (including myself) on FV. Some of them talk about buying things on sales, stockpiling, living through the depression and learning to use things to its full potential, not fully caring about expiry dates...but I think the main difference is that hoarders have a mental disorder which leads to an extreme. Throughout the show my friend pokes fun at some of the things the hoarders say because she's heard me talk about similar things such as stockpiling, etc. I am not a hoarder, and I can't imagine becoming one. Throughout the whole show I want to jump into the TV screen and clean...clean...clean!!!

I truly hope that the show helps these people get the professional guidance they need so that they can live healthy and happy lives.

**dmarie** · 08-25-2009, 12:20 PM

I just finished cleaning out one of the closets, I couldn't believe what we were holding on to. Friday Yard sale it looks like and a quick visit to a pawn shop.