Hoarding TV shows, an observation.

[polkanut]

After watching a few of these shows I've noticed that many of the people featured on these shows have dishwashers. I just can't get my head around the idea of people letting all those dirty plates, kettles, utensils, etc. accumulate the way they do. I realize that hoarding is a disease but, it is so simple to just put your soiled items in the machine, add detergent, and turn it on. Maybe I'm normal after all! LOL

 

[amyswasher]

Believe it or not, they can't let go of anything(even the dirt on the dishes), seriously. It's not about the effort of putting dishes in the dishwasher, and when the light comes on (in their head) the clean the dishes, they can't get to the dishwasher for all the clutter.

 

[polkanut]

Like I said, I just can't get my head around that way of thinking. I abhor a sink, countertop, or whatever full of dirty pots & pans, dishes etc.

 

[amyswasher]

I don't know how people live like that either. I couldn't fathom not being able to throw trash away (not being able to part with it). What makes it worse, is when something breaks ex: stove,dishwasher,plumbing(you see where I'm going with this), they can't get it fixed, which adds more crap piled up.

 

[polkanut]

On a fairly recent episode of "Hoarders", a woman had her toilet stool in the bathtub for over 2yrs. because she had too much "crap" in her bathroom to get the plumbing fixed. She had been using nearby restaurant, and gas station bathrooms for her needs.

 

[amyswasher]

I guess I should choose my word more carefully, but your right. I have noticed that in every episode I have seen, somebody very close passed away, and it went downhill from there.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I watched an episode last night! I notice a stark difference in hoarding.......Example...........This lady in Florida was a hoarder but her house wasn't "dirty"....She still had an amazing amount of stuff but it didn't look uninhabitably dirty.............Then you have this other lady.......Not only did she hoard, but she just threw the trash (pizza boxes) fast food wrappers, anything and everything just in the floor.......This in ADDITION to the hoarding....It was terrible. Instead of cleaning the coffee maker, they would buy a new one when maggots infested the other one simply because their sink was stopped up and they couldn't use the sink........It has to be major depression to cause that.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Oh Oh!!!!!!! Did you see the lady in Kansas? That was the worst one I have seen

 

[washernoob]

My parents think I am a hoarder of vacuums. Since I try not to get rid of parts and stuff. But it aint anything like some of those people.

One guy from here in town was on that show. He seemed to hoard books, papers and stuff. And just had a house full of them. And refused to part with them forever.

There are people down the street that are hoarders. Their garage was stuck open one time and I looked inside and you literally could NOT get through in any way possible. It was all piled high stuff, to the ceiling. Of just junk it seemed. Their windows have boxes and stuff covering them up. Every window in their house is like that.

Kinda sad since we live in a very nice up-kept neighborhood.

 

[toggleswitch]

To me it is sad that the parents of "these people" didn't beat the crap out of their kids and straghten them out the minute the major mental and processing (defective thoughts) issues started appearing.

Well actually they probably GOT their mental issues from defective parents/parenting.

People ALLOW themseves to get into bad habits. They choose not to (want to) see it and it just gets worse and worse.

People are like water and electricity; they take the path of least resistance. To be a civilized, funcitioning "normal" human being takes work. Lots of work.

And being an adult (that is functional) means you need to do a great many things you may not want to do, at an inconvenient time, to boot. But such is lfe. Deal with it.

Speaking of "sayings"

"H 8elishs einai H hmisis toy TTantos."
JUST THE DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING IS HALF THE BATTLE. The trick is getting yourself motivated.

There is no excuse for living --er subsisting-- like that.

And as far as going to pieces when a relative dies. Lovely and respectful, even for 6 months to a year. But then, pull your @$$ together and move on! We all get messed=up in life because we cling to expectatiosn, often unrealistic.

Deal with the reality of the right-here and the right-now.

And remember this. This is the deepest truest thing in life that was ever said.

EVERYONE IS EXACTLY WHERE THEY WANT TO BE IN LIFE OR THEY WOULD CHANGE IT.

And even an attitude and/or perspective adjustment changes it all!

You are defeated if you THINK you are!
[this post was last edited: 9/23/2010-22:18]

 

[goatfarmer]

I don't have the affliction, I hope, but I don't understand one thing. They do interviews with the hoarders, and many of them say that they know they have a problem, and it's ruining their lives, and they want to stop, to change, they need help, etc.
But when they get help to start clearing out the piles, most don't want to give anything up. It's "save that, save that, I can use that old pile of gum wrappers, don't throw that away, etc".

 

[neptunebob]

Not a hoarding show, but worse....

There was a show on the DIY Network called Family Renovation. They just had the conclusion but I am sure it will be on again. The family, Marie France, Gus, and their 5 children totally renovate a house and add a second floor while living in the house. Because of poor planning by Marie France, they end up with the whole house flooded, mold everywhere, furniture soaked, the dog leaves "gifts", and the family gets in trouble (which they deserve) for leaving garbage outside. Oh, and then there is the time somebody unplugged the beat-up freezer and instead of throwing it all away Marie France wanted the construction crew to clean it out so she could reuse it!

Toggleswitch, I believe this show might explain what you mean about the mental issues and bad parenting. Marie France is a screaming lunatic most of the time, Gus complains all the time. Marie France screams and swears at Scott the contractor in front of the children. He also seems to be one of these men on reality shows who does not go to work (I think it's a trend). The oldest boy is only 11 and he calls his parents "morons" and generally acts like an asshole so now we see how jerks are created. Meanwhile, the youngest boy is 2 and parades around on television wearing nothing but Pampers - how can he not have issues later in life?

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Listen to what Gus says when one of his boys gets on a tree: "When you fall, I'm going to mourn for the tree not for you. I have other kids". This is what I mean by Breeders, Not Parents"

 

[toggleswitch]

GREED, FEAR and FEAR OF LOSS are tremendous human motivators.

It is frightfully sad to me that people seek to (try to) fill their emotional voids/neediness/instability/ mental illnesses with THINGS.

It just never works.

Perhaps there should be instructions offered for toilet training a child. When the kid is on the throne pushing out a small anaconda the training parent should be saying:

"YAY little Dick (or Jane) look how good your are at getting rid of bad things and poison and waste! We dont have to look at it or smell it or have it anymore! BAD BAD BAD thing to keep!

Here help me flush it away....... Look how nice and clean and beautiful an EMPTY bowl is.............

UGH! LOL

 

[neptunebob]

Well there's a reality show for that too...

Toggleswitch, you should have seen Jon and Kate + 8 when Kate was trying to train Colin. She yells at Colin "Get on the potty and don't get up until you do something" and then she turns the light out while Colin is on the potty crying.

Looks like Colin is going to have issues. Think he will have his own hoarding show?

 

[bugsyjones]

I have no patience or sympathy for hoarders and those who cannot keep a clean home.

Your home is your showplace. Something to be proud of. You shouldn't be 'embarrassed' at any time to invite in visitors or the repairman.

It's not a U-Store-It. In some cases, people fill up their house plus a couple storage units. And they dump money into storage rental that could be used for a roll-off dumpster to put all that junk in. Then you could park your car in the garage.

I'm afraid for today's youth with less than enthusiastic parents who don't enforce good habits. You have lazy kids now, they'll become lazy adults.

~Tim

 

[mark_wpduet]

I'm the exact opposite of a hoarder......I throw things away (If I haven't used it within a year) or give it to Goodwill.. And before buying anything, I try to be absolutely sure it's something that I will use. It makes it so much easier to not have so much "stuff" and have that "clean" look...When running the vacuum or whatever, you don't have to move anything to clean....There's nothing to move.....I have always been this way....When anyone comes in my house they are like "DAMMMN" it's so shockingly clean and organized.....And sometimes I find myself cleaning over something that's really already clean....I'm definitely OCD, but the other way around. Same with vehicles and the outside of my house....If anything's out of place it just makes the day SUCK to me (like if I'm rushed and have to run out the door without doing something that needed doing).....I wish I could taper off somewhat.