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Help! I can't seem to throw out all my old National Review magazines with Florence King essays on the back page! I need a subsidy, a government program, a dispensation under the American's with Disabilities Act! Where's my money? Where's Mike Wallace to do an in-depth expose on this pernicious disease that strikes millions and makes up virtual prisoners in our own homes? Quick, call Oprah, I need to speak out on this problem so that we can focus attention on it!

Forgive me, I couldn't resist....

I guess you've never had to wade knee deep in cr@p (sometimes literally) in someone's house with this disorder then? Trust me, it's no laughing matter. Most *don't* want any attention at all. They want to be left alone for the most part, however, if they have children they are putting them in real physical danger.

When someone literally can not throw away rotting food or insist on retrieving what was thrown away something isn't working in their brains.

Nope, can't say as I have lived with somone that has this problem. I too am a pack rat when it comes to certain things. However, if someone is hoarding rotting food and fecal matter (which you seem to imply) then there is something else wrong with them besides the inability to throw something, anything, away.

In this day in age we seem able to find the teensiest little personality quirk and turn it into a full-blown medical problem that needs to be covered by Medicare or something. Keeping stuff is not a problem, it's keeping weird/useless stuff that is, without any idea or intention of finding a use for it, and it's symptomatic of another disorder and does not require it's own name and syndrome.

I apologize if you were offended by moy post, and suggest that you invest in a good pair of hip-waders while you get whoever is keeping all that junk medicated.