It is hard to understand exactly what a hoarder is. Do we collect certain things that it overcomes our house? How about the person I saw on TV that has over 500+ salt/pepper shakers? House is clean, but they are hoarders. I too collect way too much, and would get rid of alot if I could""just throw it away"", but someone might need it. Or after 50+ years what legal records does a person keep/get rid of.
Yes, those that do keep and live in life threating conditions seem to have mental issues and do need help, but they don't always want or will accept help.
I think it is the way we approach the situation.

And then there are the animal hoarders who think they're helping animals, yet the animals are in the worst condition possible short of death:-( I don't understand how they can't see the condition of their animals, and they insist they're being well-cared for.

We don't have TLC (isn't that the station?), but do have Animal Planet, so get to see those hoarders there.

If you're looking for logic, you're not going to find it. Hoarding is a psychological problem. Hoarders try to find ways to convince themselves it's okay to keep all that stuff, whether it makes sense or not. Some are depressed. Some are obsessive-compulsive.

I guess we could say it's a type of delusional disorder? In some cases?

New Years Eve we found out a little bit about the Hoarders show...a friend of a friends hubby is the sound guy...He just flew in a few hours before the party from the last shoot they were on...He said it's pretty crazy that they "know" they have a problem, but they don't "realize" it..it doesn't sink in...and one of the recent shows they taped..they found 19 dead cats in the house!!! the woman had some many she didn't realize when 1 or 2 would go missing.
He said that they bring "help" to the set..and the people are then "set up" with counselors and Dr's...for "after care" as well...

It's perfectly normal for these people to not be aware... yet be aware. I think they get so used to their disorder that once they've started to 'stockpile' they can't see past that pile. They know what they're doing is not right and are embarrassed by their homes but they can't help it. It has nothing to do with collecting things because they're emotionally attached to it... that's just an excuse. They collect to "buffer" some kind of pain in their lives. It's not something they can use logic with because a person dealing with OCD, whether it's hoarding or compulsiveness, can't help themselves. They need help. It's also difficult to admit having a problem. A mental illness can't be made sense of because it IS an illness... the person suffering from it doesn't always know why they do the things they do. This comes straight from the mouth of someone with OCD.... me. Though I'm not a hoarder, I fully understand why OCD folks do what they do.

I saw just a few minutes of the show last nite. It's hard to watch for sure. Disgusting to see the pig sty they live in.
The hoarder said she was more of a "rescuer of things" than a hoarder.

I'm not a hoarder, but I do have compulsion, fetish, whatever with certain things. Me and office stuff...sigh, I'm in heaven. If someone on FreeCycle is giving away a bunch of binders/office/computer paper.....I ask for it. I love that stuff. My Stepfather had some dot matrix paper he had set aside for me if I wanted it. Of course I do! DH just sighed.
He did say that from now on if something comes in, something has to go out.
Don't get me wrong....we can still move around, but it's getting a little crowded. Plant pots....another passion.
I love buying them on sale, or as gifts (both DH and my Mom give me them as gifts).

I know that when we live with out stuff, we don't really see it. You know how something will sit there, and soon, you don't even notice it? It's good to see your home through another person's eyes sometimes. Hoarders....I don't know....eventually you would think they would have to see how it really looks before it gets to the stage it does.

Of course it's a mental illness. But I don't think it is about the stuff at all. I think it is about acquiring the stuff and once acquired it they pretty much become blinded to it because they are already on to the next acquisition. No time to use it and no time to get rid of it. it's just there.

Similar to the slots addict who does it for the chase and not the winnings. A win is not cash in the pocket. It is just another credit to play the next round. Any win or loss is forgotten at the next pull of the arm or punch of the button. Until it's all gone.

I watched a little of the one where the woman
had all the rotting food and saying it was ok. I
felt physically ill - and couldn't watch anymore.

Definitely a mental illness. Sad.

I may be the opposite - I de-clutter quickly. Can't
stand messes of stuff sitting around if it isn't
being used.

The saddest ones are the case where child protective services will step in and remove the children. I think those are the ones the finally made me understand that these people really do have a problem. They love their children, but can't seem to stop doing the very thing that may cause them to lose them. It is like an addiction. People lose everything to addictions and still can't seem to stop the behavior.
I love watching Hoarders. Everytime I watch I look around my house to find things that I can live without and then get rid of them. I am probably the polar opposite of a hoarder. I don't collect things, I don't keep stuff that I don't need, but everytime I watch the show I feel like I need to get rid of something. I don't want to take any chances don't you know.

I've never been in the homes like the ones they show on air. But I have been in ones where they're hoarders, but they're
neat/clean hoarders. With the one, it started after the death of a loved one. You have to walk sideways most places in her home. None of her 'stuff' is junk....most is top quality. She has always been a very clean person and still is.

The other people weren't quite as clean but there was still nothing disgusting, didn't smell, etc. But again, they had paths through their home. In one area, they could have stacks of old newspapers with valuable glassware sitting on top, sort of like you would do with an end table, etc.

Shirley

Seems to me a lot of this is the desire feel 'in command', to 'act', to feel 'worthy'.

The animal horder is 'the rescuer'. The hoarder who can't discard anything because it might prove useful is 'thrifty' and 'prudent'. The person who can't stop acquiring is 'decisive' and 'guarding against future need'.

Whatever the supposed reason, the person seems to be trying to reinforce him or herself. Is hoarding a sign of an incomplete 'self'?

We recently had a thread asking what purchases make you feel good. I think hoarders are trying to 'feel good' about themselves because they aren't sure who they are, nor if they are 'enough'.

When is this series on and on what channel?

I suspect that most of these people are trying to fill emptiness in their lives with "stuff", which makes them feel better about themselves, so I think I'd consider it a symptom of deep depression. They surround themselves with things that fill the holes in their lives, and sadly this pushes the humans around them away, which causes more depression, which causes more hoarding behaviors.

It's a good show that I think everyone should watch. Years ago, I had an aunt who was a hoarder, but we didn't know that term, we just though she was a lunatic pack rat, and we mocked her at family get-togethers. I feel bad now, knowing that she was probably suffering with a mental illness and instead of our family offering her help, we made fun of her.

It is on Monday nights...several different times on A & E.

I watch it and wonder what these people smell like. If there are dead rats...cats...etc. found in their homes, that odor has to get into their clothing. Not to mention the ones that can't even use their bathrooms.

I had a friend when I worked at the hospital that would hoarde food and nothing else. She'd have a thing for stuff in cartons, like crackers, pasta, etc. She'd fill up her freezer and also the stand alone freezer in her garage. I was in my mid 20's then and also didn't know it had a name but she knew... She'd tell me she was a food hoarder but only for certain things. There was nothing dirty, nasty or messy about her home, though. When the freezers were full, she'd stop until 'stuff' was used up again and then she'd re-hoarde because she couldn't stand to see it empty. It truly is sad.

My next post didn't come on so here I go again. Forgot to mention that my friend knew exactly why she hoarded. Said growing up they had lived in an apartment that was roach infested and her mom would store food in cartons in the freezer so the roaches wouldn't get to it. She'd say it later became a compulsion for her. You never know what may trigger someone to do stuff. I guess all it takes is a little faulty synapse or chemical!

I do not think you can be clean and be a hoarder. You cannot possibly move all that stuff to get your cleaning done. I've been in homes like that many times. In fact, my sister is a hoarder. When she started out, she had a very cluttered home, but it was still somewhat within a normal range. Her refrigerator was a disaster though, it was crammed full of old food and you couldn't get anything in there. She never, ever cleaned it out. She would also buy anything on sale... one time she bought boxes and boxes of bananas because they were on sale, and that sat in her house and rotted. She installed many rows of shelves in her basement for storing canned and packaged food. Now her house is a complete disaster, my brother said you can't even move in her house and he spent one night and was sick from the stench. She lives in another province, so I haven't been there in years, and I'll never go back because she is the sister who is also a thief. Btw, she has always lived in expensive neighborhoods.

I was just going to say what susan just said...you can't be a "clean" hoarder. You don't move mountains of "stuff" to clean the floor underneath...or clean the actual "stuff". We have a neighbor who would fit in very nicely on that show. She had some nice things in her attic and I asked her how she kept the mice out of it. She said there was "better pickin's" for the mice on the lower floors so they didn't go into the attic. She had a raccoon get into the house through that same attic's window one time, and I don't think they ever did find it...she could see it from time to time, but it lived in that mess. Her daughter's stepped in one time and cleaned her kitchen (you couldn't find the stove or table)...she is still furious at those girls for doing that.