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.
Yes they can be cured. Hoarding is a form of extreme OCD. Through intensive therapy and life coaching people have come back from hoarding.
If you are married to me it will be cured.
As a psychologist, is there anything you can add to this??
I have little tolerance for hoarders. I manage an apartment community and I have seen the damage they do.
Actually, there is a website, for “Squalor Survivors” that shows how to get out of such a situation, the site has personal accounts of the step-by-step process some of them went through, complete with before and after pictures,
http://www.squalorsurvivors.com/squalor/measuring.shtml
Quote from that page:
First degree squalor
You are getting behind in tasks that you would normally manage, like laundry and dishes. You are not the tidy person you once were. Little piles are starting to emerge and your disorganization is starting to affect your life and inconvenience you. Things are just starting to get out of hand and become unmanageable. A sign of first degree squalor could be that you might be embarrassed for other people to see your mess...but you would still let them in the house.
Second degree squalor
Now things are really starting to get out of hand. Signs that you have reached second degree would include losing the use of normal household items like your bed, table, television or telephone, because the piles have expanded to cover the items up. You start to develop new methods of moving around your house, as normal movement is impeded by your piles of stuff. You might start making excuses to discourage people from entering your house.
Third degree squalor
At this stage, you have all the above, plus you have rotting food and animal faeces and/or urine in the house, and this is the rule not the exception. You cannot cope with the growing mess. Essential household repairs may not be done, because you are too afraid to let a tradesperson see your house. Just the thought of someone seeing your mess causes you great stress.
Fourth degree squalor
At fourth degree squalor, you have all of the above, plus you have human faeces and/or urine in your house that is not in the toilet.
Finally...
Whatever stage of squalor you are at, know two things:
1. You are not the only person to have reached this degree of squalor. Other people have been where you are...and come back.
2. You deserve better!
= = =
The other site that is helpful is
FINALLY LOVE YOURSELF (F.L.Y.) at
The most famous case was that of the Collyer brothers, who both died in 1947 in their home that was filled to the rafters with all kinds of junk. It was a tragic situation, the more capable of the two brothers died first from his own booby-trap and then the helpless brother starved to death.
Here’s the link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers
Can they ever be cured? Sure they can. Move them away far from their stuff. Been there, done that.