Originally Posted by mrspete

It must be such a controlling and sad feeling to be afraid of not having enough, or maybe having to do without. My son in-law adopted a little girl who hoards food. She has to be medicated to deal with life. at the age of four she was still hiding things and now she is ten???? In a day's time, she can hide more food than you can imagine, behind books under bed, in shoes...bread by the slice, cheese in toys, besides cereal everywhere. Thank goodness she doesn't bother with liquids. She was such a basket case but it has taken pure hands on and loving companionship to enforce that she has no need to think she will be without food. She has been weened from heavy meds, only during health crisis is it monitored closely. Before adoption, they took, all her pockets away and she slept in a bare room. Toy room was shared with others.....but you could find a trail of sugar ants and know something was hidden. Bless the little children who have known dispare. Bless them everyone.

Originally Posted by LovingIzabella

I was able to come up close and personal with a hoarder. She had a 5000 square foot home with a 2 car garage and an outdoor wine cellar. Needless to say you could barely move in any of the rooms. Floor to ceiling! I saw up close and personal what hoarding is and am saddened by it! It took 3 days, 25 plus men, 12 30 yard rolloffs and about 10 of the huge moving trucks to get everything out of the house. She had pets that used the house as their toilet and rodents as well :-( A very sad situation indeed to see what some of these people live like and to watch the families do nothing and let it happen :-( After being so up close and personal with it I can not watch the show. It is truly a horrific situation.
Hugs

It isn't really fair to blame the families of hoarders for watching and doing nothing. It's hard to understand how people can live this way and think it's normal. One of the saddest and probably most frustrating aspects of the disease is that these people can't be helped if they're not willing to accept help. Family members can talk until they are blue in the face and it won't mean a thing, they become defensive, argumentative.... Even if family members make the effort to clean it won't stay that way. I think this disease/disorder is very difficult for family members as well.

Originally Posted by earlylace

Its personal for me, my mom became a hoarder. The house was nice when me and my sis grew up. It was after we left home that it got bad. My mom is depressed but won't take meds. She won't let me help her clean. Yesterday I stopped, and she let me take some clothes for donation, she has promised to clean up the living room and dinning area, get new carpet, paint and a new couch, badly needed. i told her if she would do that i would make her a quilt with dogs!She loves her dogs. She said she wants new things so I hope I can motivate her, she loves my quilts, only made 2 so far,
I also helped her fill two garbage bags, she choose the things to throw away, so sad, it didn't even make a dent. We used to have Christmas holiday there before it was bad, she got so upset when we said we wouldn't come anymore because of the mess, she was so hurt. Honestly, I didn't want to even eat thing that she made when she brought it to my house, so now we tell her to bring a jar of pickles and olives. They feel like they are throwing away their life when you ask them to clean it up. I feel sorry for my day. At least there is a path to walk though her house.
Lace (daughter of a hoarder)

Originally Posted by LovingIzabella

everybody knows you are a kind and caring person, sweets!
Your right, they can't be helped if they don't want it. sad but true.

I do not blame the family members but there comes a point where one must step in and do what is right for the other. I am not sure about all states but I know where I am you can have someone committed for an evaluation with two signatures of family members. I think the problem is that it is so hard to deal with so some family members just give up instead of fighting to help. I am not saying clean up after the hoarder I am saying help them. Family seems to always help those who have bipolar or depression or some other mental illness but shy away from hoarders because they are "dirty" and "want to live like that". No one WANTS to live like that but again they are mentally ill and need the love, support and help of their family not the unwillingness to give it everything no matter what. In the particular case I was in it was a matter where she was a shame to the family so better to leave her be than bother with her. These are the kinds of family members I am referring to sorry I did not mean to imply it was the family's fault.
Hugs
April

Originally Posted by LovingIzabella

Hoarding is a mental illness. The reason for the hoarding has to be addressed before anyone can be "fixed". I sure hope your daughter gets help-with kids it can become a bad situation because they can take them away if they feel the children are in a dangerous or hazardous to their health conditions.
I wish her the best and you the strength to help her!
Hugs
April

Originally Posted by JanetM

I've watched the show several times. No one would choose to live this way. They are unable to help themselves. It really is so sad.

Originally Posted by Shadow Dancer

It isn't that they are unable to help themselves, they don't know how. The underlying issue has to be addressed before they can take steps to change and that takes the help of a professional.

Originally Posted by JanetM

You are absolutely right. They don't know how to help themselves and they can't explain why they are emotionally attached to things, they just know that they can't get rid of anything. Such an overwhelming, sad disorder.