Posted on 06/23/2010 9:15:42 AM PDT by MissTed
Neighbors had complained before about Mary Minter's unkempt yard, littered with weeds and debris. But that was nothing compared to the interior of the 38-year-old's Sandy Springs bungalow, as firefighters discovered earlier Tuesday. Minter had to be extricated from her home by four rescue personnel following a 911 call from an unidentified source. It took the firefighters 40 minutes to wade through "chest-high" debris that clogged the hallways of the modest residence, located in the Cherokee Park neighborhood just off Roswell Road.
Sandy Springs Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Scarbrough described the smell as "intolerable," though he didn't have to navigate his way through the trash. The firefighters who did had to be decontaminated, Scarbrough told the AJC. The Kitty Hawk Drive home, shrouded in overgrown ivy, has been condemned and Minter will be responsible for cleaning it up, said Marcus Kellum, Sandy Springs' chief of code enforcement.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Sick bastards.
“Can they ever be cured?? “
No.
Hoarding fascinates me too. I think most people do it to some small degree, especially with certain items they deem worthy.
Are there people who are the opposite, I wonder? Ultra-minimalist?
No — it’s a form of pathological selfishness.
I wonder about good old laziness....I mean I like “stuff” and I save “stuff” but empty McDonalds cups on the floor?...empty pizza boxes?....soda cans?....its ridiculous..
I doubt it, although medication may help. From Wikipedia:
Physiology and treatment
Brain imaging studies (PET)[22] have shown that the cerebral glucose metabolism patterns seen in OCD hoarders were distinct from the patterns in non-hoarding OCD. The most notable difference in these patterns was the decreased activity of the dorsal anterior cingulated gyrus, a part of the brain that is responsible for focus, attention and decision making.[9] A 2004 University of Iowa study found that damage to the frontal lobes of the brain can lead to poor judgment and emotional disturbances, while damage to the right medial prefrontal cortex of the brain tends to cause compulsive hoarding.[23]
Obsessive compulsive disorders are treated with various antidepressants: from the Tricyclic antidepressant family clomipramine (brand name Anafranil); and from the SSRI families paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa). With existing drug therapy OCD symptoms can be controlled, but not cured. Several of these compounds have been tested successfully in conjunction with OCD hoarding, but paroxetine in particular is indicated for treatment of compulsive hoarding.[24] A 2006 study of this usage of the drug to treat compulsive hoarding was conducted by the University of California, San Diego. Compulsive hoarding is also treated with psychotherapy which allows patients to deal with their emotions and behaviors. This method is vital to the successful treatment of hoarding[25]. Most symptoms of OCD, such as contamination fears, checking and morbid/ritualistic thinking, are effectively treated with “Exposure and Response Prevention” (ERP). ERP consists of two parts: Behavior Therapy (BT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
The source should be the ATLANTA Journal Constitution, I think. Never heard of the ATLANTIC one.
Are my neighbors next ? Last year he proudly showed off a garbage bag full of “Dead cats. Some I found behind the washer and drier, some behind the fridge” after going on vacation for 2 solid months and leaving them trapped inside.
I am currently working with some animal groups on the 25+ remaining survivors. No public office or resource will respond. The smell can knock a buzzard off a sh!twagon.
I’ve seen a show or two about hoarding ... it is an oddly fascinating mental disorder.
If you ever have an occasion where you need to feel better about your life ... take an hour and watch a show about hoarding (either that, or one of the Dr.Phil episodes about 35-year-old losers that live with their parents).
Holy moly.
SnakeDoc
Based on my 88 year old mother's life long tendencies, no. It is a fascinating study, but oh so frustrating to surrounding family members.
It is a behavior that is hard to comprehend. Some have it so bad that they wear diapers and keep them when they are dirty because they can’t bring themselves to flush it away.
I guess A&E had a show called “Hoarders” that I just added to my Netflix queue. Looks interesting.
It becomes overwhelming. The job seems too big to deal with and people surrender to the mess. It’s especially difficult for older people with medical problems.
I’ve been helping an older relative who has a moderate hoarding problem and the it is very difficult work to get some of the areas clean. It took about 8 hours last weekend to get an area about 10 x 10 feet cleaned in the garage. You have to go through every box because there is garbage mixed with valuable items. Once you get the good stuff sorted out, there is still the challenge to get them to part with some of it.
Ack! That is disgusting and morbidly cruel. In my state, these people would go to jail.
LOL! I believe I am what you might call an “ultra-minimalist”! I buy quality items, and intend them to last a lifetime. I frequently do a property tour and get rid of unnecessary things. I have everything I need and not one bit more, and I keep all those things in perfect working order. Advantages involve not having to clean nearly as much or as often, always knowing where everything is, and saving money by not buying or having to replace things. It’s a good life!
Obviously, being a minimalist isn’t going to interfere with my life or affect others. No smells, no life-threatening situations, no trouble getting in or out of the house. The worst that can happen is that I discover I need something I don’t have (happens VERY rarely), and then I just buy it.
I’m pretty sure I could not live surrounded by stuff, any more than the hoarders can live without it.
Yes they can be cured. Hoarding is a form of extreme OCD. Through intensive therapy and life coaching people have come back from hoarding.
That would be me. I’m the anti-hoarder.
One of my mottos: When in doubt, throw it out.
My wife hates it. I’m continuously trying to throw out her stuff.
Before I was married, I liked the idea of having so little stuff that it would all fit in my small pickup truck.
Even my house is minimally decorated, except the parts where my wife demands it.
I guess I don’t like ‘stuff’ tying me down. I’m a bit of a wanderer, meaning I like to travel and get bored with staying in the same place for long.
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