hoarding

[daswitzer]

Does anybody watch that new show on hoarders?  When I watch it, I want to go out and shop.  It has the opposite effect on me.  I'm not a hoarder, but I do like STUFF and I love to thrift shop.  I have a friend who is a hoarder and I find her very interesting.  To each his own....this is still a free country...I think.

[thrifty shopper]

You definitely have the propensity to become a chronic hoarder. Get professional help immediately. . just kidding - 

If you're talking about the show with Dr. Oz, I did see most of that segment. People who do that need help before the problem gets out of hand. But more importantly is to look at the cause. And, I think it's caused by several factors like how we're raised; etc. But, our beliefs can change as we age, which also affects how why or what we collect. I personally believe we are all obsessive about owning or collecting certain items that we have to keep under control as best we can. I know I like collecting certain things and always am on the look out for more.

Hoarding is probably listed in the symptoms of psychological/psychiatric handbook diseases for all we know.

[SplashsMom]

Hoarders is a newer show on Monday nights on one of the more educational (?) channels.  I have seen most of the episodes.  Some make me ill, like the one with the dead cats in the garage, and the one with the lady who would never throw out food!
I do go back and watch more though. No, it doesn't make me want to shop, or even throw things out, but it does make me want to organize!

[valleythriftshopper]

I haven't seen the Dr. Oz show, but A & E airs Hoarders on Mondays, they used to have a bunch of them on the website, but I think there is only one episode you can watch in full now.  Most of them are quite sad, one couple lost their kids due to the state of the house, others are facing eviction, foreclosure, etc. 

One of the cashiers at the Food Bank thrift told me that they have delivered stuff (they deliver larger items like furniture locally) to horder homes and some of them are pretty bad.  I have seen other series on hoarding and thrift stores seem to be a favorite spot for hoarders.  Definitely a very different situation than being unorganized or cluttery, it is a recognized mental illness.

[dewdrop_me_a_line]

You would find hoarding under the general title of OCD.

This from just enough psychological  training for me to informed or perhaps just dangerous. Do remember I am a retired Postal Employee and a graphic designer.

dew dew drop
 

OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

[Mattie]

Yes, hoarding is definitely a form of OCD.  It's a mental illness, not a lifestyle choice.  I cleaned out the home of an elderly woman who had been a hoarder.  She was a nice lady, retired from a good career, well-educated, always well-dressed when she went out - her friends and coworkers would've never guessed what was behind her front door.  (She never let anyone inside her house.)  She shopped obsessively and usually didn't bother to open her purchases when she got them home; she just threw her bags of dollar store merchandise on the floor.  She also couldn't throw anything away - there were newspapers piled everywhere, broken and dirty dishes all over, worn-out clothes, bags of garbage, etc.  She never, ever cleaned.  She'd lived in the house for 30 years and never once vacuumed.  It was a nightmare to clean that house. 

[valleythriftshopper]

I always wondered how hoarders keep people from coming into their home, especially if they have kids.  My daughter is always dragging some friend in or someone just shows up at the door (if the place is messy it seems to be a guarantee that someone will show up at the door).  You must have to make alot of excuses.

[SplashsMom]

You do not have to be a Hoarder to discourage people from seeing your mess.      Excuses R Us