OMG! Hoarders - have you seen this show?

Its a fascinating show...I'm oddly drawn to it. Makes me feel sane and helps me understand people like that, having seen houses like that myself doing the vintage thing.

Ang
 
I find it interesting as well. It's so easy to think people are "just slobs" without considering the underlying disorder~

And ditto - I AM NOT a hoarder ~ I'm an over-zealous collector - no, really, I am :lalala:
 
I like the British "How Clean is Your House", and really, they do deal with horders on there. I'll have to check out this one, maybe they have more than just years of junk mail.
 
I saw a few minutes of that and I turned it off. It was just gross and very sad to me, not entertaining.

Hollis
 
There have been a few shows about people like that on German TV too. We call them "messies" here. It was sometimes just gross to watch, I admit, and usually very sad. It's not something I watch normally, but I stumbled across it while zapping around.
A Swiss journalist made a movie documentary a few years ago, about how he and his brother had to clean their mother's house, after she'd died, and she had been a really, really bad hoarder. In English it was called "Seven Dumpsters and a Corpse" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027744/ . They took it with a lot of black humour, so it's probably not to everybody's taste, but it was interesting. A lot of family history came up with the cleaning out of the house too, of course. The point is, the friends and relatives often don't know anything about it or only realise it too late.

I think as long as I can clear out my closets twice a year, I can still call myself a collector :D. I admit, I have the "collector gene", but that's it. And nothing feels better than a good clean-out.

Karin
 
What Karin said, I think, is a big distinguishing factor between hoarding and having "too much stuff". I regularly "hit my limit" and start tossing everything that isn't nailed down (unless it's mine and I love it - step away from the vintage :USEGUN: )
 
Originally posted by debutanteclothing
it's on A&E. It's a show all about hoarders and helping them first clean out their houses and then trying to help them change behaviors. I turned to my husband and shouted "I am NOT a hoarder!" :jawdrop:
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Whoot!! I only saw the preview but I did the same thing!! :clapping: so funny! I "aquire" and I sell so I can "aqiure" differnt things - I'm very cyclic :)
 
I think as long as I can clear out my closets twice a year, I can still call myself a collector :D. I admit, I have the "collector gene", but that's it. And nothing feels better than a good clean-out.

Karin
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Thank you Karin. x I agree with that. I am currently in the process of completely going through every garment I own. There are some going to charity, some to be sold, winter things to be moth balled in sealed boxes, and summer things being steamed and mended. And there are some beautiful items that I am lucky to have, and careful to maintain. Doing this is helping to avoid hoarding.

My mother is a hoarder. Not a collector, not anything mild, and when she dies myself and my family are going to have a tough time clearing it. It is not far from touching the ceiling, and nothing in there is coming to my house full stop. She may have some amazing things but I would not risk it. We do have a sense of humour, and that will be helpful. I think I will watch the video. I once saw on youtube a film of someone whose parent had died, and they filmed the house full of things, and I mean full, and then to camera just went HELP. Very funny bit of film, I am sure they dealt with it in the end.

p.s. I love my mother, oddity and all.

.
 
Hi,

I have heard of the show, but I hesitate to watch it, and NOT with my boyfriend, who is a hoarder (books and film memorabilia) but NOT EVEN CLOSE to the same level as me. I know I have a "problem". I once had over 1700 hats (I know, I know). Now I am much better, I only have about 600! My home and 2 huge storage units are brimming with every kind of antique and vintage stuff, tons of antique clothing, books, over 200 bolts of vintage fabric, sigh........seriously we have 12 foot ceilings in the loft and it goes that high. And I have realized that now that I am at the prime old age of (secret), this will only get passed on to some dealer (hopefully one who knows her/his stuff) when I leave this planet for good. Or (horrors!) given to the Good Will or sold at a garage sale! NO! NO! But at least I know MY stuff is good stuff (really...well most of it!). I used to think I would sew with all this, or wear it all. I am too old now to ever do use it all, and my hips ...well don't get me started. Yet I still have it all. I want to move within the next 2 years, so I have to get going and downsize or I am stuck here. Then I would be like those people on TV! So I am indeed a hoarder, maybe a bit of a sick pup...but I cannot help it. If I see a hat I have to have it! So I avoid that TV show, I'll feel worse if I see it! Ha ha ha! Oh yes, I also now have all of my mom's collections....HELP!
 
We have some pretty nasty programmes over here. It's car crash TV, I just find it too disturbing to watch. Huh, maybe because it feels too close for comfort!

Now I am much better, I only have about 600!
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Though that, Barbara, makes me rest a little easier! My DH says our home looks like an auction house on viewing day, everything just piled up, having to edge around the furniture. Thank goodness I have a three year old who walks on tip toes...hmmm, this is evolution - I have bred a child who can shimmy round stuff from birth! I bet she'll grow up to be one of those minimalist types that I *absolutely* cannot understand, but secretly envy.

In my next life I'll have a white carpet and expanses of gleaming glass with just the odd perfectly-judged statement piece. :hysterical:

Sarah
 
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