Comments for Metropolitan Organizing

Comment on Why Do People Watch “Hoarders”? Part 2 by Tillie

Tillie — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:36:03 +0000

I watch hoarders because I live with a hoarder.
Heard about the program from my searching the internet and was extremely happy to find the episodes on the A&E website.
There I learned that my hoarder has a disorder that he shares with many other people. The things he is thinking and feeling about his stuff is what the featured hoarders are thinking and feeling too.
Watching the professionals at work has helped me immensely. Being able to post my questions to the featured participants and read other posts on the message board has been priceless in my education on this subject.
Hoarders has put me in contact with the people responsible for me now having such wonderful success in helping him change his thinking about his stuff.
For twenty years he was out of control with his dumpster diving, buying and never tossing out a single thing. Salvaging what he considered recyclables but never recycling them, turning our land into an extension of the county dump.
Now, slowly but surely he has been decluttering!
It’s a slow process but very much in the right direction.

Comment on Mandated Reporting of a Hoarder by Tiffany deSilva

Tiffany deSilva — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:09:52 +0000

Hi bg,

Not knowing the specifics of the situation, I would recommend documenting each safety hazard you see. If you see the child covered in fleas or the child has bug bites, take pictures and take him or her to their pediatrician and have them examined. It might be helpful to have the physician write an unbiased statement in regards to any health issues pertaining to the child. If you feel the child is in danger, be persistent. If you feel like the elder adult is in danger, contact Adult Protective Services, as well.

Comment on Mandated Reporting of a Hoarder by Tiffany deSilva

Tiffany deSilva — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:08:50 +0000

Hi, J. E.,

I know it can be frustrating to want to help your friend when she isn’t accepting your efforts. Without knowing the particular situation with your friend, it’s hard to give advice. Just be on the look out for safety issues that she me causing for others and seek help from the proper authorities, if appropriate.

If her home is just dirty yet habitable, and she’s the only one affected by it, there may not be much you can do other than supporting her and offering her help when she’s ready.

Comment on Mandated Reporting of a Hoarder by bg

bg — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:33:00 +0000

My husband and I are currently in this same situation with his son and ex. We are scheduled to close our case today and are very very concerned that nothing has been done. The other home is unsafe, hoarding involved, vulnerable senior citizen on oxygen also lives there, flea infestation, in the bedding & on child. Everything that you said to mm about her stepsons home is what is wrong with my stepsons home. Yet the caseworker is willing to close case and let conditions remain horrid. What further steps can we take to help the home become healthy?

Comment on Why Do People Watch “Hoarders”? Part 2 by Geralin

Geralin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:41:50 +0000

Patricia,

Rest assured, [tell your friend] Hoarders is not staged; we do not add stuff or bring more stuff into homes being filmed.

About your post –
One of the things I’m especially interested in (thus, my 2-part post, “Why People Watch Hoarders”) is how viewers, especially those with a hoarding disorder, react to the show. As you might imagine, I truly appreciate your comment, ” I don’t look down my nose at this recalling my difficulties” because this is exactly what many clients tell me! They watch the show and relate to the emotions they see: anger, hurt and passion.

Thousands of people apply to be on the show every year and many of them say that watching the show gives them the courage and knowledge. They find it easier to reach out for help. Some folks, like you, help themselves and others use the show as inspiration or motivation to stay in control of their accumulating / saving habits.

Your comments are greatly appreciated; thank you for taking time to post your thoughts. It’s always a pleasure to hear from people making progress and living healthier lives. I wish you much continued success.

Comment on Why Do People Watch “Hoarders”? Part 2 by Patricia

Patricia — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:52:14 +0000

A friend of mine, when I told her I liked watching Hoarders, said “that can’t be real – it’s got to be staged!” but I on the other hand can empathize somewhat with hoarders and the gradual process by which they become buried by their own possessions. I’ve always been able to keep up with housework and while for much of my life not too much up on aethetically decorated rooms I’d say I was competent in all the varied tasks which go under the heading “housekeeping”. However I do recall I had a pile of stuff shoved under the staircase in the basement and cupboards in my room, my bathroom and spare room stuffed with things I’d end up losing track of and forgetting about. There was something especially difficult about cleaning out that cache in the basement under the staircase. I’d come across something that was just a piece of something, not even the entire item and I would go through little piles of these thingsitem by item and not be able to throw any of it out.! An example of this was a music box (my daughter’s) which was smashed into about 3 pieces and I kept on putting it back . When I moved from that house to my current address (six years ago now) I took a LOT of stuff with me. I even took my recycling. I joked that I even packed my dust. This array of possessions had been amassed over the twelve years I lived in the old place – since I had a garage at the new house and was undergoing some renos and cleanup (the former owner was definitely a hoarder) I put most of my stuff in the garage except what I really needed. This was my frst lesson: after two years I looked over everything in the garage and realized that I could have dispensed with two thirds to three quarters of what I had taken with me and never missed it! Then I learned more from cleaning up after the last owner. He himself had left junk in the yard and had even buried it in places. There was wood and broken flower pots and flotsams and jetsams of various descriptions everywhere and I had to do quite a few dump runs to get rid of the remnants of his hoard! Another lesson learned. Then the program Hoarders came along and I found it fascinating. First of all it is an intriguing psychological study of how people can become desensitized to their surroundings, and the types of events which have brought them to the bad situations they are in. I don’t look down my nose at this recalling my difficulties. I learned that what I had in common with the people on this show is that I had projected some memory and emotion into the objects and throwing out the object would be like throwing out/rejecting the memory, or committing something somewhat akin to a betrayal. I had suffered some trauma in my life and felt rejecting and throwing these items would be like rejecting them; since I had projected something of myself into them it was as if I was throwing myself out. I continue to watch Hoarders; I am inspired to continue ridding my house of unwanted/unneeded items and keep on improving the aethetics in my surroundings so it’s a place I’m proud to call home. I’d very much love to work with hoarders and help them. What I would definitely have working for me is humility.

Comment on Daily Chore List: Part 1 by Amie @ Itsystitch

Amie @ Itsystitch — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:38:44 +0000

these are great lists that I can share with my kids to keep us all on track!

Comment on The Differences Between Collecting and Hoarding by Jesse

Jesse — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:07:21 +0000

I don’t see the problem, those all sound like legitimate items to collect, I collect a lot of those myself. I am in no way a hoarder and it doesn’t sound like your husband is either, merely a collector. He certainly doesn’t have a ‘ disease’ as you ignorantly put it. I recommend relaxing and not harassing your husband about his innocent collections or you will ruinyour marriage. Be a supportive wife, there are a lot worse things he could be doing.

Comment on Why Do People Watch “Hoarders”? Part 2 by CR

CR — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:18:09 +0000

I watch probably for the “validation” aspect-had a relative die in her hoard and I have a mother who is a food hoarder. I am also a licensed mental health practitioner, so I watch it for the “textbook” aspect, as well. Sometimes watching it creates an angry countertransference, and I recognize it as the anger toward the family members who have complicated and burdened my own family.

Comment on Mandated Reporting of a Hoarder by Ariel

Ariel — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:26:17 +0000

I think your friend will do something awful to you I’m response to your kindness. If she is putting others at risk. You should. Intact fire department and landlord.