I watched 2 hours of shows on TLC about Hoarding

[LynneSin]

First I was shocked - I thought TLC only did shows about overbreeders. But they have their own show about hoarding similiar to what is show on A&E

Seriously, I wanted to take the day off and clean up my house. I'm soooooo paranoid that I'll end up on that show in 10 years

:scared:

[Demoiselle]

1. I found it almost impossible to look at the promos for that show!

And then my thoughts turned to my attic. And my basement. And my closets... AEEEEEiiiiighh!

[Arugula Latte]

2. Those shows motivate me.

For several months I have been steadily taking small loads of stuff to Goodwill and Value Village. It's such a wonderful, freeing feeling.

[LynneSin]

3. That's what I want to start doing

I have some old craft supplies (beading & needlepoint) that I swear I'll do again one day but never do. I thought a local senior center might like these supplies

[Arugula Latte]

4. It's doable if you don't think about the whole house.

Just concentrate on one bag or box at a time. I write down everything I get rid of -- it's amazing to see the list grow.

[Kat45]

14. I bet the senior center would love that stuff--and make good use of it. n/t

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

15. Yes a senior center

or a senior housing complex would love that kind of stuff. :toast:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. Read the Don Aslett books if you need help deciding.

His books are wonderful.
The one that helps you decide what to throw is called NOT FOR PACKRATS ONLY.

My mom was a hoarder and it was hell-I had to wait until she died to throw away even an empty coffee jar.

[LynneSin]

6. I'm not that bad - I do throw away actual garbage

Else I'll get invaded by bugs.

[Renew Deal]

7. I watched 2 episodes

And couldn't take how depressing it was.

[LynneSin]

8. Honestly, when my home gets really messy I know I start getting depressed

And when I'm depressed I either shop or eat. Which makes me have more junk and/or fatter.

It's a vicious cycle!

Mind you - I am not in such bad shape as these other folks, but I could see myself getting there if I don't take action.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Whenever I watch "Hoarders" I look around and think

I've got to be neater or I'll wind up like one of those people someday. It does motivate me to tidy up. I'm not a hoarder, just a slob -- I have no problem throwing stuff away; I just have a problem getting around to doing the actual work of *putting* stuff away. Hence there are a lot of odds and ends just lying around that should have been put somewhere; meanwhile I sit on my ass and post on DU. :(

[Skittles]

16. you pretty much described me

I'm not disgusting - I throw out trash and I do clean but I seem to be in a constant state of what I call "disarray". :o

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. "Disarray" sounds a lot better than "hideously disorganized junk pile."

I console myself by keeping in mind that apart from the occasional little balls of cat fur, it's *clean* disordered crap. I take out the garbage, wash the dishes and throw out the junk mail. There's just no particular order to where I put stuff, and I can't find anything.

I am such a slob. :banghead:

[Skittles]

18. THAT'S ME!!

although I do have a tendency to let junk mail pile up before I delve into a toss-frenzy :D

[LisaM]

10. You know, LynneSin, I was watching those hoarding shows last night, and the overbreeding promos

and it occurred to me that there's a connection. One group accumulates stuff, because of insecurities. The other group basically collect children. I don't know how far about the two groups are.

[Patiod]

11. My MIL is one

It was so bad that she couldn't sleep in her bed - she had to sleep in her chair in front of TV, and had sores on her legs from never having them elevated.

We spent 3 full days last summer, cleaning her tiny rowhouse bedroom. Threw out something like 80 bags full of garbage. Her dog isn't housetrained, so the floor was a stew of mouse droppings and mummified dog poop.

We had to go through everything, first though, because she hides money in cheap purses, wallets and the pockets of clothes. It was stressful and depressing for everyone. I found out later that whenever she was missing something we trashed, she blamed me, until her daughter said "Hell, Patiod wanted to SAVE some things - I was the one that insisted that almost everything had to go."

Your comment about depression is right on the money. She always had a cluttered house, but didn't descend into full blown hoarding until she was forced to retire from her job at her parish.

I can't tell you how much I hate catalogs and QVC - the bane of hoarders!

[kimi]

12. Maybe I should watch a few episodes myself

I know there's stuff I need to deal with, but I keep procrastinating. Maybe watching a few hoarding shows will get my butt in gear.

[SeattleGirl]

21. That show motivated me to book 1-800-Got-Junk? to get

rid of the 17 years of accumulated crap in my basement. They come out in 2 weeks, and I can't wait!

[lazarus]

13. my grandmother is a bit of a hoarder

My mom and sister were cleaning out her house this weekend. They found my aunt's birth certificate in one of many piles of newspapers. They can't just throw a pile of stuff away, it has to be gone through with a fine tooth comb.

[Posteritatis]

19. I miss the times when TLC had worthwhile content... (nt)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Ah, the good old days --

when it was The Learning Channel and not Freak Central. I too miss those days. It is nothing but the worst kind of cheap, trash TV now. :(

TLC is also rippng the hell out of A&E -- both the new horders and the intervention shows are a big success over on A&E.

[hippywife]

24. Ditto.

And I don't even have cable and haven't for over a decade. Now you all know why I can't stand to watch TV outside of PBS anymore. x(

[Arugula Latte]

20. Another show on the subject is "Clean House" -- which is much lighter.

It's all fun and games, they get the people to give up their stuff, they have a yard sale, they repaint and redecorate -- voila, everyone is happy. Usually. Somehow they seem to avoid the hardcore mentally ill hoarders, with a few exceptions (like that woman who won the "messiest house in the country" contest and refused to part with lots of her stuff ... They wound up putting it in bins in her basement.)

[NuttyFluffers]

22. that show inspires (terrifies?) me to clean like nothing else!

:scared:

part of me feels that i must write a power of attorney clause that if i ever got to that stage allows someone to take me on vacation and throw out all my shit to the dump.

[Generic Brad]

25. Two hours of hoarding?

Can I buy it on video and add it to my collection?