I have heard of cases of hoarding that are so bad that people will actually get a quick loan to buy storage space so they can keep all of their stuff. I think people are so fascinated by hoarders because although their habits and lifestyles are appalling, many people can connect with them on some level.
On "Hoarders" the TV show last night profiled a couple of different cases. Jill is a 60-year-old woman and a typical hoarder – except that she also hoards food. The other case is a couple, Jennifer and Ron, who are in danger of losing their children to Child Protective Services if they can't get their hoarding under control.
The Los Angeles Times points out that while the organizers on the "Hoarders" TV show help hoarders clean their houses, there isn't much done in the way of changing the behavior. Hoarding is a deeply psychological disease that will not disappear when the stuff does. The LA Times says:
"While “Hoarders” is stern in its vision, it feels curiously hands-off in regards to root causes. Ron speaks repeatedly of his emotional attachment to “stuff,” but it’s never made clear why that might be the case. (”I feel like I may get sick,” he says to Geralin, as items are being removed from the house.) Jill explains that her food hoarding has to do with having previously been poor and unable to choose what she would eat, but beyond that, her need to keep products well past their expiration dates is never unraveled. David tries to use what appears to be dry wit — “Are your perceptions of food completely accurate?” — but barely scratches the surface of Jill’s compulsion."
Perhaps we'll see more focus on hoarders' psychological issues on future episodes. "Hoarders" TV show airs on A&E Monday nights at 10 p.m.
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