Article: 87 year old hoarder facing eviction (warning: incredibly sad)

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Originally Posted by catherine

I'm not a psychologist, but it's amazing how inseparable one's things can be from their identity and life itself:

"I do have a lot of things, but they aren't junk. They are my life. How can anybody say my life is junk?"

So, yes, her getting rid of her stuff will be like amputating a limb or worse--more like separating Siamese twins. I agree with UA--it will probably kill her.

It seems like people who can't live for today, or are not happy with today, or who look back nostalgically on what they no longer have, are more vulnerable to hoarding. It's like they want to keep the past alive.

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This is true, these folks are called "sentimental hoarders." My mom is a sentimental hoarder.

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

Obviously I am speculating.

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I'm not. I'm a first responder. And have some experience and training in the legal, medical, law-enforcement, and use-of-force angles of such situations.

Hint: it's trickier than your breathlessly lurid speculation.

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Originally Posted by bae

I'm not. I'm a first responder. And have some experience and training in the legal, medical, law-enforcement, and use-of-force angles of such situations.

Hint: it's trickier than your breathlessly lurid speculation.

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Please explain in detail.

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

Please explain in detail.

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Ask your county or city's Medical Director to show you the protocols.

(I end up helping pharmacologically restrain people with some frequency to aid law enforcement. This often involves "almost" killing them. It's not a light-hearted thing to do, to "sedate" someone in the field when they are upset. Using force of any sort is serious business, and presents the distinct possibility of life-altering damage. Doing so to separate a hoarder from their hoard seems ill-advised except in some exceptional circumstances. But then again, I am in general opposed to initiating the use of force against others to impose my will or lifestyle upon them. YMMV. )

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Originally Posted by bae

I'm not. I'm a first responder. And have some experience and training in the legal, medical, law-enforcement, and use-of-force angles of such situations.

Hint: it's trickier than your breathlessly lurid speculation.

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Thanks for being one of the good guys, Bae. If I ever get sick, I am going to pray someone like you shows up.

And can I say that twice in my life, first responders have saved my life.

You guys are my heroes.

Thank you.

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Originally Posted by bae

Ask your county or city's Medical Director to show you the protocols.

(I end up helping pharmacologically restrain people with some frequency to aid law enforcement. This often involves "almost" killing them. It's not a light-hearted thing to do, to "sedate" someone in the field when they are upset. Using force of any sort is serious business, and presents the distinct possibility of life-altering damage. Doing so to separate a hoarder from their hoard seems ill-advised except in some exceptional circumstances. But then again, I am in general opposed to initiating the use of force against others to impose my will or lifestyle upon them. YMMV. )

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Did you see the pics? It looks like letting her and her sons stay in that hoard is a major fire hazard -- one that could put first responders or neighbors in risk.

But again, I'm just a humble fisherman. I don't know much about this emergency medical stuff.

The photos make me nervous and anxious and make we want to go home and toss everything not vital!

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Originally Posted by Float On

The photos make me nervous and anxious and make we want to go home and toss everything not vital!

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I get a similar feeling...

Do you know why you feel that way? Any reflections on it?

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

Do you know why you feel that way? Any reflections on it?

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I don't have a family history of that sort by any means.
I think my urge for simplicity came from my summer of living in a army tent on a wood platform in the wilds of W. VA. in '84. 3 months with 2 jeans, 3 shirts, hiking shoes, tennis shoes, 1 skirt, 1 dress shirt, 1 pair of sandals, 1 notebook, 1 small bible, 2 pens. I collected memories but not stuff.

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Originally Posted by Float On

I don't have a family history of that sort by any means.
I think my urge for simplicity came from my summer of living in a army tent on a wood platform in the wilds of W. VA. in '84. 3 months with 2 jeans, 3 shirts, hiking shoes, tennis shoes, 1 skirt, 1 dress shirt, 1 pair of sandals, 1 notebook, 1 small bible, 2 pens. I collected memories but not stuff.

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Sounds amazing! :)