Recovering hoarders?

[Ultralight]

In my research methods class one of my classmates is doing a research project on hoarding, so she is really getting into the research. A group of us in the same class, including her, are also working on another hoarding-related class project.

She was telling me that her grandparents have it, her mother-in-law has it, and her little brother has it. I told her about my grandma and my mom and dad.
We shared a few horror stories.

Then another person in the group said she worked at a group home and had clients with hoarding disorder. Then yet another person in the group said her grandpa had it and she was incredibly embarrassed over it.


Anyway, this girl studying hoarding who has the grandparents, in-laws, and brother with it... she and I immediately bonded. She gave me this look... I will probably never forget it. It was as though she wanted to hug me for mutual support.

I then told her how my sis and BIL just had a baby last month and that my sis won't allow the baby to visit my mom and dad's house.

She got really quiet and said: "Jake, I am pregnant. And I will not let my baby ever go to their hoards."

Hoarding is just so damaging to families.

[freshstart]

well, I'm gonna hug you, UA. ((Ultralite Angler)) Congrats on becoming an uncle!

[Ultralight]

well, I'm gonna hug you, UA. ((Ultralite Angler)) Congrats on becoming an uncle!

Thanks.

[Chicken lady]

Some some of us can hear you.

that's an after picture of the impenatrable closet under the stairs, btw.

[Tybee]

I need to get my eyes checked. I thought the vacuum was a cocker spaniel.

[frugalone]

It does look like a cocker spaniel.

[Chicken lady]

Oh great. Now I can't Unsee that. The shop vac has been r2d2 for years. Now the vacuum cleaner is going to get named rover or something.

[freshstart]

that is the biggest under stair closet I've ever seen, what great storage. Good job emptying it out!

[Chicken lady]

Thanks.

i still don't really understand the point of wasting so much storage space by leaving it empty, but it makes dh very happy.

i think the thing about recovering from hoarding is that no matter what approach you use, you have to want to get better - more than you want all the things that make you hoard. And it's still hard, and sometimes, you just want to get/Keep stuff.

i'm dieting now too - the pain in my knees moved to my hip, and finally losing weight was more important than cookies. But now I'm down to the last 5 lbs, and it's a lot harder because I don't hurt anymore, so today I ate a huge piece of cake.

the hoarding is like that too.

[Ultralight]

Some some of us can hear you.

that's an after picture of the impenatrable closet under the stairs, btw.

Triggered!!!! Ahhhhhh!