cpbaby

Sweetie. I love you, but it just isnt that simple. It really isnt. MY MIL was a hoarder and when she moved into a smaller house, it was HORRIFIC. I literally filled up one of the LARGEST construction dumpsters you can get with crap out of her house. When we cleaned out her garage, we found a complete(without mattresses) full size bedroom set. She was beside herself trying to pack the stuff back in. Ned had to take her to the new house while we cleaned the old one out. The worst part was, so much stuff was intertwined, I couldnt just toss a box, I had to dig through it to make sure there wasnt money(yes, dollar bills), pictures(OMG, the family pictures) or items with personal information/bank statements. Ned freaked out and cussed and carried on. It was bad. We finally got it pared down to a nice level for her new house and within a few months, she had it piled up again...To the point that she slept on half of her double bed because the other half had things piled up on it. There were literal paths from room to room. Then, she died.


Now, Ned hoards. He cant throw anything away. There are paths in that house. I dont attempt to clean(no, I do not) because I have before and as soon as I get a flat spot cleaned off, he "collects" soemthing else to put in its place. I have tubs and tubs of crap I have removed from the counters, the kitchen table, the top of the entertainent center...often more than once....and he has filled it back up again. Am I lazy? Probably by everyone heres standards, but I cant throw anything away without him going through the trash to see what "is good".



Now that Sophie and I live in MY house, we dont have that problem. Basically, I gave up at his house. I guess you can call it lazy, I dont care, but where we live now will never look that way. The most things I have sitting around are lamps(needed) and Sophie's school papers are on the end table by where I sit until I put them in a special basket. I try to wash a load of clothes every other night and we pick up scattered crap EVERY night before we go to bed and whatever we scatter in the mornings is picked up before we leave. I may not run the dishwasher every single night, but everything is rinsed and in the sink and the table is cleared off with just the tablecloth, placemats, and the lazy susan with napkin holder and S/P shakers on it.



I actually posted pictures of Neds house once on another board and I had people threaten to call CPS to have Sophie took away. I was already moving, but that cemented my resolve. Also, I am more relaxed now. I know that with us constantly picking up compared to my never trying to pick up, you wouldnt think so, but now I dont have to worry about Sophie moving, touching, hurting something he has set up for a "specific" reason...Afterall, it MIGHT BE WORTH SOMETHING SOMEDAY....

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Sophie
dob. 01/09/04

gonnascream

Oh I know. My MIL get to be the same way too, Same with DH. Im just the the type that after awhile I have to clear everything out. Sadly my mother is a semi-hoarder too. I guess after living with her, my emotional attachment to things were just turned off and it's easier for me to get rid of things than others. But I know your point, I really do.

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BLAH ~

Mom2-3boys

I watched an episode yesterday with a 21 y/o man, the poor kid, he had an alocoholic father that slept on a chair cushion on the floor and there were hundreds of wine bottles on the floor around him the kid had such anxiety that even throwing half a bottle of old Gatorade out about sent him over the edge. Then after all was cleared out he didnt want to clean up all the dog hair becaue he felt it gave his dog life.....so sad!

DrGrin

How sad. I can't imagine having to live with someone like that. My heart goes out to those who do.

Willow

I get picked on a lot for being a neat freak but I would rather be that way than to be like some of those people on that show. I've seen it a couple of times and it makes me nervous just looking at the mess on TV. lol The most recent episode I saw was the one with a woman who was getting divorced and had to clear the house out in order for it to be sold. I think the reason why she was getting divorced was because of her hoarding problem. There was also a guy on the same episode who said he had a mental illness and just kept hoarding stuff and was going to get evicted from his apartment if he didn't get it cleaned up. I think he was planning on writing a book about it.

ilovecats

It does seem like it would be much easier that way but,
they mentioned on one of the episodes that if the hoarders don't help with the clean-up they are more likely to just start back on the same path again.

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Willow

I wonder if they ever follow up with the people afterwards to see if they are keeping things clean.

cpbaby

Ive heard that OCD meds coupled with therapy is about the only "cure".

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Sophie
dob. 01/09/04

krisharry

My MIL is a hoarder. She is also a lazy pig but she isn't in our lives anymore(not bec. of the hoarding, other issues). Anyway, her problem was bad. You couldn't even get in the bedrooms as they were floor to ceiling piled w/stuff, mostly junk. The kitchen and living room, there was a small walking space to get by. I sympathize w/anyone who is living like this. We could not go there and visit when we were in town because I refused to take my kids over there. It was just unbelievable.

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"Because days come and go, but my feelings for you are forever..." by Papa Roach