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A few weeks ago I went over a friends place usually we go to dinner and end up at my home I really don't mind love to have people over. We were at the end of town and my dinner friend suggested there home. I haven't been in there home for 2 years. I could not believe what I saw and I am sure you can tell what's coming! I was served a cold drink and the glass was dirty along with my friends glass. There are at least 3 floors of stuff. I can't remember when things were that bad and the sadest part it this person does not see it. Along with the clutter comes dirt I asked myself what does this person do all day? Yikes!

Mary, I'd be speechless if I didn't have a sibling with the same blindness to the filth she lives in. What are you going to do besides NEVER setting foot in her dwelling again? I'd suggest making sure that no matter where you meet them for dinner, you are closer to your house than theirs!

I watch that TV Program whenever it is on. The only thing worse than that condition is "Animal Hoarders". Maybe your friend could go on that TV Show. They do offer help and counseling, which your friend really needs. She cannot deal with this problem without professional help.
You said your Hoarder Friend suggested ya'll go to her house? How was her house 2 years ago? Was her house 'normal' 2 yrs. ago or was it just 'not as bad' as now?
It's a horrendous situation and whenever I watch that show it makes me want to do some "chores"..... something!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Waverider ;),

DH sister is a Horder -- it used to be a "secret problem" and we couldn't understand why she let her house get in that state (no one else in the family lived like that) but then with education we realize that she can't help it, needs help to overcome it, etc. Needless to say, she doesn't get to host any family holidays . . .

I must say when I'm going to clean out attic or garage or basement, I'll watch a couple of episodes -- it helps me when it's a "keep" or "pitch" situation. I am much more ruthless after having watched some Horders episodes!

Martha

I have watched those hoarding shows w/ horror. I agree...the homeowner typically doesn't see the clutter or the filth associated. It's a definite sickness. Often, the hoarder has gone thru a loss and fills that void w/ stuff to the max. It's sad and frequently a health and/or fire risk to boot. When you view the shows you'll notice just how devistating it frequently is for them to toss out the most trival belongings such as bags, boxes and plastic. They see the potential in everything and can't seem to part w/ it. They get physically ill in fact. Often, the stuff still has price tags on them or are in their orginial bags or boxes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Froo Froo,

Did you ask them if they would like to be on TV? I would seriously talk to them or if I felt their safety was in question, I would call a city inspector. I hope you did not drink the drink!

I don't know if I've ever been able to sit thru more than a few minutes of Hoarders. It just nauseates me. Of course these are extreme cases but consider how many people have a "junk room"..
an entire room that has been lost to normal use due to being a dumping ground for stuff they don't know what to do with. Figure out the price per sq ft of your home and calculate the size of your junk room. That's the cost of housing your junk. Is it really that valuable? If someone kidnapped the contents of that room would you pay that much to get it back?

My sil is a hoarder. They have a really large home, full basement. There is stuff everywhere. Every single surface is covered with stuff. Not 2 inches of room on the kitchen counters. She saves every plastic food container. I get very anxious in that house. On her night stand alone, she must have 30 bottles of lotion. Her laundry room is large with piles and piles, and piles of clothes. I just can't understand it. We only visit every couple of years as they live across the country. The same piles of stuff have been in the same places for 15 years. It just boggles my mind.

Did anyone catch the show last night? This woman not only had a storage locker (which her poor DH agreed upon), but another PLUS a huge store front she was renting w/o her DH knowing. First of all, this poor man has a heart attach history and is stressed to the max w/ her sickness. Secondly, the wife made her grown children (two sons and a DD) swear to secrecy). Needless to say, when she came clean, he felt betrayed and their trust was badly shaken.

I can't imagine my DH not having a clue where the money was spent on STUFF and STORAGE which, in her case was sizeable. I forgot to mention that she even stashed stuff in some of their rooms and basement PLUS one married son's basement causing him to have to rent a storage locker for his things. Obviously they became enablers. By the end of the show, w/ the help of experts, she was able to sell, donate and trash the bulk of her stash. She even made $9,000 in the process from sales. I'm sure she's going to need periodic followups to ensure she doesn't fall back into this sickness.

Forgot to mention, that not only do horders save things we would feel are definitely trash, but this woman held onto a big bin of party snack mix in her basement for goodness knows how many months or years. Basement shelves were loaded w/ food items that were long expired. For this reason, I'd not accept a drink or food as their guest lest I become ill.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Froo Froo,

Yes, Froo, I watched last nights episode. Nothing else was on, lol. I felt bad for her hubby. I didn't catch the end, as I fell asleep.I felt like she was a very selfish woman. Her hubby seemes like a nice guy, but I too wonder how he didn't notice such large amounts of money going out every month, unaccounted for. They should have used her shop space to sell everything, thrift store style.Also, I would NOT let any of my friends or relatives fill my space with their crap like her son did. I just don't get that. I actually don't get the whole hoarder thing.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: janetaz,

This is too funny- the same episode came on Friday afternoon here.. I was channel surfing and saw the bit about how she had 2 sheds and the storefront her husband didn't know about. Once again- after 4 minutes of this I had to turn it off and start cleaning. My kitchen counter is cleaned up and the papers are gone from the dining room table.

When and what channel is the hoarders on? I've seen part of it a couple of times. Equally fascinated and creeped out by it. I used to love that show "How Clean Is Your House."

quote:

Originally posted by Charcoalsmom:
When and what channel is the hoarders on? I've seen part of it a couple of times. Equally fascinated and creeped out by it. I used to love that show "How Clean Is Your House."

Here in our part of Florida a NEW one is Aug.26 on TLC.

Hoarding is a mental issue and these people need meds.I watch hoarders because it's like a car wreck.You don't want to look but you can't help it.

It's amazing how many hoarders there are no doubt world wide and I don't see any shortage of episodes for some time. It seems there's always a worse case then the last too. Some hoarders have to rent space to sleep outside their home if they can afford to, as "things" are piled to the ceiling while others camp in their yard which is strewn w/ everything from trash to cars/trucks/buses/tires and worn appliances. In some cases, the horder has physical illnesses from asthma to terminal cancer and are living with rodent and roach infestations to black mold and/or fecal waste. More often then not, the homes are total losses as the structure is left unsafe. Most hoarders are basically abandoned by family who've tried in vane to help them countless times which leads to more "filling the void" and depression. This mental sickness is so very tragic and takes it's toll on entire families.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Froo Froo,