Hoarders (A&E)

I am totally watching this show. Then when it's over it makes me want to clean my house, although I usually don't. Like TVAholic, I think I could be a hoarder if I let myself. My problem is that I don't want to just throw working things away in the garbage. I don't have any problem keeping the kitchen/food in order though, because that would just be gross. I think I have a control issue about it, like I need to control everything that happens. I totally understand how some of these people feel. Like "I will get to it tomorrow" and tomorrow something else comes up. Or you just feel overwhelmed. I really try to not buy things and throw away stuff that is trash right away, but it's not easy. The show I watched recently had a woman from Torrance, which is the city I work in. That one hit home. Plus they showed her sitting on her couch doing a sudoku, which I do all the time, kinda scared me!

Since my mother died, I have been clearing out her storage unit and bringing boxes of things I feel I need to keep into my small apartment. Everytime we are going to have company, I just throw everything into bags or boxes and stack them up. I hate throwing out mail because people can steal your info from that. I have a shredder but end up tossing everything into boxes anyway. My mother was exactly the same way. Tons of things in drawers that were never opened or looked at until it was time to move. I keep my bathroom and kitchen very clean because that grosses me out. I vacuum or have my son do it weekly. I even dust but I just cannot break this habit of keeping crap in boxes!! I know I am not a hoarder because I don't seek out stuff to bring into my home, I'm just overly lazy when it comes to taking things out of the home. Grrrr! I can totally feel for the people on this show because I'm sure if I were really ill, I'd buy things daily and just keep piling everything up in my home. I always feel I need to clear my junk out as soon as I finish watching this show. My hubby says, babe, you are nothing like these people.... you know you have too many things and need to get rid of it... these people actually feel they have to have this stuff to survive. Gotta love him!

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Originally Posted by buglover;3698768;

Since my mother died, I have been clearing out her storage unit and bringing boxes of things I feel I need to keep into my small apartment. Everytime we are going to have company, I just throw everything into bags or boxes and stack them up. I hate throwing out mail because people can steal your info from that. I have a shredder but end up tossing everything into boxes anyway. My mother was exactly the same way. Tons of things in drawers that were never opened or looked at until it was time to move. I keep my bathroom and kitchen very clean because that grosses me out. I vacuum or have my son do it weekly. I even dust but I just cannot break this habit of keeping crap in boxes!! I know I am not a hoarder because I don't seek out stuff to bring into my home, I'm just overly lazy when it comes to taking things out of the home. Grrrr! I can totally feel for the people on this show because I'm sure if I were really ill, I'd buy things daily and just keep piling everything up in my home. I always feel I need to clear my junk out as soon as I finish watching this show. My hubby says, babe, you are nothing like these people.... you know you have too many things and need to get rid of it... these people actually feel they have to have this stuff to survive. Gotta love him!

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You sound A LOT like me, especially with the boxes. I stopped the "flow" into my house years ago so that has helped. I've also gotten the
"paper thing" pretty much under control. I shred and toss out papers a couple of times a week. Food isn't a problem. I don't have ANY problem tossing expired stuff I actually like it. It's almost like the expiration date is telling me that I CAN get rid of it so I don't have to think about it or wonder if I should. Sounds crazy! I know!

Not crazy at all....... I laugh and tell my neighbors or friends, this is white trash at it's finest!! :rofl We lived in a mobile home when I was growing up and mom used to always say, trailer trash never eat at the kitchen table dear, we eat in front of the tv, the table is for laying out bills and other things to look at later!! My husband and I do have dinner at the dinner table with all of the kids when we can get them together at the same time so I'm glad to say I broke that tradition. :laugh

I only saw this once - last week with the rotting food lady - but it disturbed me.

And what's worse, is I'm positive my gr-aunt is this way. She refuses to let anyone in her townhouse, won't open the door when she's dropped off or when you drop someting off to her.

Several years ago, my dad finally got in there since she hadn't had a working tv in so many yaers and he finally bought her one. Obviously she couldn't pick it off the stoop, so she reluctantly let him in. And he told me later there was materials, notions, doll parts, (my gr-aunt is a costumer), broken sewing machines and other junk all over the place and blocking the stairs. We are worried she's going to fall going up & down the stairs and break something. She's 80, so she's not a spring chicken anymore.

But man, if you mention the cleaning out to her - she freaks and snaps. Gets all excited and upset.

Someone once told me that those people that lived during the depression are esp vulnerable to hoarding. My gr-mother definitely threw nothing out (my gr/aunt's sister), but it was never messy or unkempt or dirty. She just saved everything because "it might come in handy later".

The funny thing is,with me, my mother and father are super neat. My mom never had a problem with getting rid of things. I remember that my sister and I were very upset when my mom threw out some things of ours ,when we were kids, that we wanted to save. I was always messy but still cared about how my homes looked so kept up with it pretty much. 10 years ago my sister died and my marriage broke up within a 6 month period. That seemed to do something to me and things started to stack up. The one thing that has "saved" me is that I saw what I was doing and never gave up. Like I've said before, my problem was NEVER, EVER anywhere near what the people on the show are like. I always seem to have boxes stacked in some room somewhere. My garage is ALWAYS a topic of conversation. Now after seeing these people I realize that my garage looks like a showplace! There isn't junk all over. I just have a lot of stuff but it's organized and in matching plastic bins.I can actually park cars in my garage!
I can relate to so many of the things that these people say when they're going through things. I don't think that this show touches AT ALL on the one thing that ALL of these people seem to agree with. They HATE the thought of something getting thrown out when it could still be used in some way or appreciated by someone else. A good example (for me watching) were all of the wine bottles. I was stressed out because I kept wondering if they were going to be recycled. I hated the thought of them just going into a landfill. With the exception of the actual trash and garbage in these homes, I feel, that the remaining things should be sorted (like on Oprah and Dr. Phil) into piles of recycle, donate, sell and keep. I think that some of these people would have a MUCH easier time of letting go if they didn't feel that so much was being wasted. I also feel that step 1 should be a cleaning crew that goes through and cleans out any OBVIOUS trash like cat and human feces and expired food! Those are simply health hazards.

tvaholic - I had the same reaction about those wine bottles. I was shocked when a recycling truck didn't show up for them. Hopefully, they ended up at the recycling center. I live in that town. Maybe I'll ask them at the recycling center next time I go - they'll probably think I'm nuts, but, oh, well...

Like you, I've also wondered why none of the organizers/therapists have tried to get the hoarders thinking about passing an used item on to someone who would care about it an appreciate it.

Another strategy I've not seen used is taking photos of items. I used to do that with things like papier mache projects my kids had made at school. I hated to get rid of them, but how long can you store that stuff?! If I had a picture of it, I was fine with getting rid of it (and eventually I get rid of some of these photos).

After I go on vacation, I always come home and get rid of a lot of stuff. I have no problem living out of one small suitcase for weeks, and I don't miss any of my stuff at all. I always start longing for a home as clutter-free as a hotel room. I'd try putting some of these hoarders in a hotel room for a week. I bet most of them would do fine without their stuff. It might give the more rational among them some insight into the fact that they can live without the bulk of their stuff and be happy without it.

Another exercise might be to tell a hoarder about a family who lost everything in a fire, but they were happy, because they still had each other. Then tell the hoarder to think about the items that are really important to him/her, and that they'll have 15 minutes to get those items out of the house. Remind them that that's more time than people have when there's a fire. Once they have the important stuff out, maybe it will be easier to negotiate the getting rid of the less important stuff inside. As others have mentioned, it's very frustrating watching these therapists/organizers negotiate over each old receipt.

Kip, I love some of the things that you've suggested. The photos of art projects is great. I have a box of old projects that my daughter made in school. I have her go through things herself now and let her decide. She's pretty good at letting it go. I've kept a few things that were just too cute or funny and as long as I have those I feel that I still can "remember" her childhood. I just might give the photo thing a go for larger items.
I'm glad to hear that the bottles bothered someone else too. I'm a recycling nut and I can't stand seeing that kind of waste. Be sure to let me know if you find out about those bottles.
I've also thought of having these people live in a hotel or some other clutter free environment (maybe with a relative) for a short time. Maybe this isn't always possible but for some it might just help them look on their messes with fresh eyes. Of course these shows don't allow enough time for anything like that.
The sad thing about most of the hoarders ,that have been shown, is that only a few of them REALLY want to do anything about it! The others are only doing it to stop an eviction or to stop losing children or pets. They just don't get it! These might be the perfect candidates for a week long "clean" trip somewhere (as long as they're not allowed to bring home souvenirs)!

I am watching a "Hoarders" marathon (well, a few in a row) today and I'm doing it as I organize my house after making a move to another city. The advice given to these people is very solid and helpful, even to me -- and I am not a hoarder!

It's a helpful show. It gives insight into this sickness. I know of a public official who lives in utter disgust, and has pets that are not fixed, so there are always little animals being born into that filth. If only that person's coworkers knew that there was a major "jekyll and hyde" thing going on, the person might be given an intervention.

I know that marriages are destroyed by this sickness and the children always suffer; I applaud A&E for bringing attention to this dangerous disorder.

I heard about this show but haven't seen it yet. When is it on?