Community Chat

[BellaPaprika]

OP, that one today was gross! It was more filth than hoarding things. And the piles of used toilet paper in the bathrooms. And the roaches! I agree with whoever said the counselors/cleaners are too easy on them. That woman needed someone to just come right out and tell her she's a filthy pig and endangering the lives of her children.

[DottieBlue]

I also watched these shows, and the ones that upset and saddened me the most was when the children were so badly affected by it. One little boy cried because he hated all the stuff and dirt that his mom let accumulate in their house and he didn't have friends because he couldn't bring them home to his house. That broke my heart to see that little boy cry. He knew it wasn't good to live that way--amazing how smart kids are!

[millieshops]

Hoarding is mental illness - really, really scary.

[shoekitty]

I used to watch once in a while but found myself getting so angry at the hoarders. Most are totally narcissist, obsessive compulsive and have obvious mental issues like bi polar or personality disorders. And most are the most unlikable people I have ever met. I have helped homeless, mentally ill, people under bridges, and never met one so abusive as the show Hoarders seem to find. I have never, ever heard of one being treated with medication, which some really need. There are those who just let life, and their hording get away with them. The sincerely want to change, and need help cleaning, they are kind and nice. But some are so far gone. They are cruel, abusive, violent. I have seen mothers call their kids vile names, hit them and berate them. The kids crying, trying to help.

The 2 key shows I remember was a lady named Hannah (I think) who hoarded chickens. I had to keep turing the stations when the chickens were shown. Her family and Hannah were among the most vile people I have seen on TV. The other show I was scared for life was about the woman who hoarded her poo and peeeeeeeeeee in containers. Rooms stacked with her "hoard" among just junk. She is the only person in all the shows who sent to a group home because they felt she was not capable of taking care of herself. duh.

[sylviahomeatlast]

On 11/3/2014 nunya said:

I especially don't understand the ones with animals. One lady had so many cats she didn't notice a few had died ...under piles of stuff.

There has to be something wrong and hopefully these people take the after care the show provides.

An animal hoarder was arrested here about a week ago. All the animals rescued had to be euthanized. terribly sad.

[kittymomNC]

It's sad that there are many people in this world who seem to understand nothing at all about mental illness, and apparently don't even want to. And I'm not talking about the hoarders.

[hyacinth003]

I just cannot watch this show anymore. It makes me too angry!

Yes, I am well aware it is considered a mental illness. However, some of these people are the most selfish, self centered, obnoxious people on this earth.

Hoarding is one thing, walking over trash, animal feces, food containers, etc. is just nasty. It is called living in filth. They have allowed trash to ruin the structure of homes.

Most of these people are depressed, and the show never gets in to past attempts or future treatment for depression.

My great aunt was a bona fide hoarder. She lived in the 3rd floor of an apartment building. She was a DANGER to others in that building. One day, my mother and I went over and cleaned out the place. It was mostly trash and food that had gone bad. We hauled bags of junk down three flights of stairs. As we were leaving, we saw her at the dumpster taking the bags out!

I can't watch it anymore!!

Hyacinth

[kittymomNC]

My point about mental illness is that the illness itself causes people to do things that they wouldn't ordinarily do if they weren't sick. We never see what these people were like before they developed their hoarding problems, we don't know how devastating the life circumstances were that caused it, and we really only see a quick clip of them after the "clean up". We know nothing about the kind of people they really are, and with the appropriate treatment, it's possible that they could be totally different, and not selfish, lazy, cruel, unlikable, self-centered, obnoxious, or any of the other names they've been called. I'm not saying that would apply to all of them, but probably to many.

That's one of the reasons mental illnesses are called "mental illness".

[NC Bandwagon]

On 11/3/2014 PalmSpringsTransplant said:

My sister is a hoarder and I was both drawn to and repelled by these shows at the same time. She stuffed a 1 BR apartment so much that you needed to be a mountain goat to get around. The shower/bath had become unusable and she took "birdbaths" in the kitchen sink.

Worst part is that I co-owned this with her and became responsible for the mess. $60,000 to clean up. Black mold, mouse skeletons, unimaginable dirt.

She's out and doesn't speak to me anymore. Blames me for her becoming a hoarder.

When I watch the shows, and I'm drawn to them to try to understand, I always get p/o'd by the indulgent treatment given to the hoarders by the shrinks and organizers, etc. Many of these hoarders -and I speak from experience - wrecked major havoc on their families- and are then coddled and allowed to examine every matchbox.

I'm sorry that happened to you. While it's important to try and help people who have hoarding issues, I think more times than not, the families of these hoarders are forgotten and left in the dust.

[missy1]

Collecting things (not pets), in one thing... but trash building up, not throwing away old food, feces, bug infestation, used depends/Kotex all over the floor, and sewer spillage is either being lazy or a mental disorder.