Are You Or Do You Know Of Anyone Who Hoards/Buy And Collect Things In Excess
By Cherryd41
@Cherryd41 (1119)
United States
September 25, 2009 10:17am CST
Hi MYLOTTERS
I was just wondering if any of you out there know of any friends or relatives who are hoarders people who collect, buy in excess and don't throw things away?
I watch the show that comes on the Discovery Channel or A&E (I know it comes on one of the cable chanels LOL
Anyway I have seen the show and these peoples houses and my gosh I just can't believe that anyone can live like that , I do know that its a OCD (obsessive compulive disorder) and its pretty sad because a lot of these people want to stop their embarrassed to let anyone in their homes .
Some of them have children and pets and its a danger to them
You couldn't even sit down in some of the places and the filth some woman was saving moldy food in her fridge and said as long as it doesn't expand she is gonna keep it she was eating expired yogurt and other dairy products!
Her fridge was full of ice and mold where meat had rotted and spilled and she just let it sit there for months on end it was so bad that the therapist said I have to leave her for a while he was gagging
He said that was one of the worse cases he has seen.
Other hoarders had so many boxes of junk and old papers that were 20 years old or more expired medicines .
If you know of someone who does this how does it effect you if the person is a friend or family member?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@gingisnapz (738)
• United States
26 Sep 09
I have seen this...as a matter of fact, my mom hoards things. I have talked to her about it, but she just can't let go of things. But that's what it all is...stuff. And she also has a lot of cats.
She used to not be this way. It started shortly before I moved out and got married. That was 7 1/2 years ago. I'm not sure what happened. My brother still lives with her and it is difficult for him. His room and the master bathroom are the least cluttered the house. The living room isn't that bad, but is excessively decorated. Her bedroom is the most cluttered with a pathway literally cleared out to get to her bed and to her bathroom. Stuff is piled along her hallway as well. There is just enough room to walk.
I'm not sure what to do...plus, my mom has a very rare form of cancer. She has Mantle Cell Lymphoma and the prognosis is just a couple more years. She is doing better with it at this point than what the doctors say she should be. She still goes to work every single day and seems rather energetic, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not.
@Cherryd41 (1119)
• United States
26 Sep 09
Hi Gingsnapz
Sorry to hear about your Mom's illness
but at least she seems to be in remission now and is energetic and still able to go to work
As for the clutter in her room I would think that she would consider because of her condition cleaning out a few things so that she can feel a bit less boxed in I know it must effect you and your brother a great deal to see your mom in this situation especially your brother who still lives with her
I would imagine thats a lot to deal with for the both of them does your stepfather have any influence over your moms way of life meaning can he encourage her to let you guys tidy up a bit? Or does your mom say no way leave it like it is which is which most people who hoard have a fear of throwing even the most unsanitary ,unhealthy or unusable things away which is part of the OCD
but at least she seems to be in remission now and is energetic and still able to go to work
As for the clutter in her room I would think that she would consider because of her condition cleaning out a few things so that she can feel a bit less boxed in I know it must effect you and your brother a great deal to see your mom in this situation especially your brother who still lives with her
I would imagine thats a lot to deal with for the both of them does your stepfather have any influence over your moms way of life meaning can he encourage her to let you guys tidy up a bit? Or does your mom say no way leave it like it is which is which most people who hoard have a fear of throwing even the most unsanitary ,unhealthy or unusable things away which is part of the OCD
@xdollface619 (2)
• United States
26 Sep 09
I agree with you, its annoying!! My dad collect's vintage watchs as a hobby. This all seems well and good but he has over a thousand, and there everywhere in our house. Stocked in every free closet and cubert space you can imagine. There isnt room for anything else.
@Cherryd41 (1119)
• United States
26 Sep 09
Hi Xdollface619
Wow over a thousand watches if thats the case he should always know what time it is
I wonder if all of the watches work? And does he take them out to look at them once in a while?
It must drive you and your other family members crazy I guess it would do no good to ask him to either get rid of some or not to collect any more would it?
I wonder if all of the watches work? And does he take them out to look at them once in a while?
It must drive you and your other family members crazy I guess it would do no good to ask him to either get rid of some or not to collect any more would it?
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Sep 09
Well the neighbor next door to me is pretty much a hoarder and just can't bring herself to throw anything out. During the years, (and she's lived here many years) I used to "help" her out and help her clean her apartment...but what a task. she literally had garbage and stuff on the floor...it was like a carpet of junk. My instinct was just to scoop everything up and throw it in garbage bags, but oh no! Every time I'd pick even ONE piece of paper off the floor she'd stop me to look at it to make sure it wasn't something "important"--took forever to clean that way. So I'd get the apartment looking fairly decent but if you were to go into her apt. just one month later it'd looked the same exact way. She was threatened with eviction once when her landlord happen to go into her apt...the dept of health inspected her apt and cited it as not only a health hazard but fire hazard...they came in and hauled out about thirty lawn sized garbage bags out of "stuff"....that was years ago, but I'm just guessing her apt looks the same--I won't even go into her apt as even before when I did I'd start getting breathing problems
No conditions like hoarding are OCD...since OCD sufferers are usually the opposite and are always cleaning. This neighbor though has paranoid schzophrina and is manic depressive
@Cherryd41 (1119)
• United States
26 Sep 09
Hi Pyewacket
Thats pretty sad well at least you tried to help her and your right they will just go back to being the way they were after your help its also a health hazard to live like that it a wonder she wasn't threatened with eviction long ago.
And your right its also a fire hazard as well its pretty bad when the health dept has to come in and clean your house like that you said she had 30 big garbage bags full of junk? Wow thats a lot to be in an apt.
@pinklemonade (486)
•
25 Sep 09
I am glad I have been brought up watching these shows otherwise I would probably end up like them too. I am a very sensitive person and get very sentimental over alot of different things so much so that I don't want to throw them away. So I keep all my cards people give me, I just can't stand to throw them away after someone has gone to the effort of writing. Also I can get quite obsessive over particular things such as I have tonnes of postcards that I threw away recently. I don't know why I had just collected them over the space of 10 years but had to face putting them in the bin. I have a thing for stickers too although luckily these are very small so I only have a folder's worth of them. I have recently been giving away things to charity that I have kept but I haven't used. It is really hard for me but the only way I can do it is by giving it to charity as I think that someone will be getting far more enjoyment out of it than I ever will.
However, I am really quite obsessive over cleanliness too. One of my favourite programmes is about cleaning and I just can't stand being in a room that is untidy or I feel like has too many germs in. This is another reason I don't think I will ever end up being like these people.
@KMPierce (165)
• United States
25 Sep 09
I do know a few people that are pack rats, but not to this degree. I've seen the show you are talking about and it is disturbing. Every time I see it I end up cleaning a closet or a room in my house. I'm not a neat freak by any means, but I don't see how people can live like this. The friends that I have, that are pack rats, do live a little cluttered. I feel bad because I can't stand to go to their houses- I always invite them to mine. They are not filthy, just have stuff sitting around. I feel cramped when I'm at their house.
@Cherryd41 (1119)
• United States
25 Sep 09
Hi KMpierce
I can relate to what your saying about feeling cramped when your at someones house who has clutter. I feel the same way my sister use to keep a rather untidy house but this was years ago when I was a about 13 I used to clean her house because her husband and she were so messy! Well its her ex husband now but none the less they were just slobs
I lived with the for a little while off and on during the summer months when I was growing up she'about 12 years older than me but she has changed a lot over the years because her current husband she's been married to for about 17 years wouldn't tolerate the clutter
and I say good for him!
I think it takes away from a house when people let it get dirty and messy because your house reflects who you are as a first impression . If I have company coming over I clean especially well on that day
and I say good for him!
I think it takes away from a house when people let it get dirty and messy because your house reflects who you are as a first impression . If I have company coming over I clean especially well on that day
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
25 Sep 09
Oh my,i never seen anyone like that,thu i know someone who hoard things,but not that worst.
I had a friend who keeps a lot of things(junks)like old clothings of 20 yrs ago.(i think it's her parents clothes who passed away)
Boxes full of stuffs that i don't think reusable ones.
I also keep some memorablia but not to the extent of making my closet a mess and looks like a junkshop.
