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..
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.
I think there is a difference in true hoarders and just plain lazy pigs but the media and so called experts fail to notice the difference. True hoarders are not necessarily dirty, they just collect huge amounts of stuff like compulsive shoppers. Some people are just too lazy to clean up after themselves and things get out of hand. Then there is a combination of the two. My sil is a food hoarder. Her house is clean but she has food stacked everywhere. Pantrys and closets full of food and paper products. There is barely room to walk anymore.