do you know a hoarder

[CharmedPhoenix]

yes unfortunately, my aunt and uncle are, and have been for 40 some years, I can no longer count the times that we (family) have tried to help them by cleaning their house, only to have them clutter it up again within weeks. Its sad really, but you cant talk reasoning to them they just dont see that there is a problem.

Hoarding is a sickness and requires proper psychological treatment.  It's an extreme form of empty nest syndrome in some cases.  You can't just clean out someone's house and expect it to stay that way - it won't.  They have to be treated and do it themselves, little by little.  The hoarding is just a symptom.

My mom always had stacks of newspapers, etc to read at a later date.  She'd also buy grocery items on sale, or with coupons, because they were something we used, even if we didn't need them.  The basement had a grocery bag farm of all the bags of extra items.  When my dad died she stopped throwing things out on a bigger scale.

When I was a caregiver I filled in for someone on vacation and took care of their client who was a hoarder.  She was not being treated for it that I could tell.  I tried to talk to my boss about her, but was told they could not tell her how to live.  It was scary working in her home since she had stacks of newspapers along the walls with extension cords reaching through them to power many fans.  On top of that fire hazard she was a smoker and her home was an apartment, connected to other people's homes.

[bretay]

yeah we had 1 who lived up the street...terrible sickness.....he died and his places went to family and now they have to be the ones to clean it..

[BMaston12]

i do  my step brother and his wife are both hoarders i had the unfortunate experiance of helping them move many many years ago up til then i had no idea that they were like this i have to say it is beyond gross

I wouldn't call her a hoarder. She is definitely a packrat. Too much stuff that will never be used. She is not as bad as those people on TV who can't walk through their house. There is not a bunch of filth. I have to cut her a break, since she was raised during the Depression. Love her lots. BMaston12

[minioncookies]

Do i know any hoarders? If you ask me my grandmother to me was considered a hoarder... My aunt says she was just shy of a hoarder.. But anyways.. My grandma loved pretty things.. she was always picking up nicknaks, teasets, cakeplates, servicesets, and christmas.... My god.. the christmas... We have more christmas than carter has got pills... I'm telling you... When my grandmother passed in september of last year that is one thing i was dreading the christmas... She has so much of it.....Needless to say.... We have enough christmas decorations to fill all of the grandchildren's houses for christmas.. and more... Which there is 6 grandchildren... and 1 great great grandchild.. O_O I don't think that is just shy of a hoarder do you :p

[natashaspy]

my mom lives with us, she's a total hoarder! while i manage to keep the rest of the house from stacking up, her bedroom is a total death trap.  i clean it out, it wont be a month she's got it full again.

[moonangel]

they were so bad they had three refidgerators and they said when one got full no one wanted to clean it out so they went and just bought another and then another. all of them was check full of molded food and just so nasty

[Dynamite2013]

I never was a hoarder until my parents passed and I ended up with an overwhelming house of things and furniture I didn't need. I gave much away but I still have too much and if anyone needs what I have I give it to them for free. I really like a lot of space in my home and right now it is crowded. This summer I may have a garage sale just to rid myself of all these extras.

[BOSSLADYNELLY]

I have a friend of a friend who is a hoarder. Recently, she got a flat tire and was unable to get the spare tire out because her car was so packed with junk. Her house is barely livable. I feel sorry for her.
There are specially trained counselors out now who try to help these people. They get rid of one thing at a time, because it is supposed to be too traumatic and stressful to clear out everything at once. Many times, they have a relapse, and within months the house is back where it started.
From what I understand, hoarders have had some kind of trauma in their lives that cause them to behave that way.
There is a program and books about hoarding out now. Interesting subject.

[ShadeTree]

Yes, I do. They aren't nearly as bad as the people that have been on the television show, but it's bad enough. I think in some way the majority of people are hoarders, it just may not be with objects. I know I am guilty of hanging on to things that I really just don't need to keep around, but I'm not bad about it at all and I am continuously working at letting go of more of it as I have already let go of quite a bit over the past 10 years at least.

[clickers]

Unfortunately for me, I'm a hoardet. I keep everything.  My house isn't a trash pile or anything,  but I can definitely lose some things.Since the new year, I've been decluttering.

[nmbrown863]

My mom is a hoarder. I remember I could never have friends over as a child b/c the house was always such a mess and packed. We had a spare bedroom filled with so much stuff that you could barley open the door and had to climb on bags and boxes to get through. It was nuts. Everyday my sister and I would try to help clean but she would not let us get rid of stuff so it would never get done. I have to say that over the years she has gotton a little better but still has a ways to come.

[champak97]

I used to have a neighbor who had her apartment filled with stuff, that there was hardly any place to move.

[myfreebees316]

I used to sadly enough it was a family member but thank god they changed ther eways because it was getting pretty bad to. There garage and almost all the room in the house was filled with stuff from top to bottom almost

[sherryinutah]

Yes, I know hoarders.  Some of them won't allow people into their living space because they're embarrassed about how they live.  I understand that hoarding is pretty common among certain people who are mentally ill.

I also learned, that if I loan something to a hoarder, I shouldn't expect them to return it because they don't offer to give it back.

 
 

[dsawan]

its not ok if the stuff blocks doorways and piled to ceiling or a fire hazard. Just gotta stack them properly-boxes and shelves. can have collectibles or things but shd be shelved or organized