[Trazey34]

wow! I watched an A&E show called "Hoarders" and was blown away. I work in the mental health field and i've come across a few, but only the types who hoard junk, nothing perishable.

There was an older woman who was a food hoarder, had 3 or 4 fridges, and they were overflowing with disgusting, rotting, foul food. She had rotting veg and fruit in her living room, bug strips covered with critters, a rotting pumpkin in a room, it was so bizarre the disconnect she had. The clean up guys had to leave a few times to throw up outside but she was right IN IT and didn't even notice it. She wanted to keep 6 month past expiration date yogurt as the container "hadn't puffed up yet, that's fine to eat" OMG!!!!

Anyone else catch this??? It's still disturbing me!

[Smiling_Sara]

I watched it! It was awful. She had sour cream that was expired and she said " what's it gonna do? Go sour?" ugh. I hope ppl like that can get some help before eating that foul food kills them.

[chickiegirl]

I saw it too. It was so gross I don't think I will be watching any more episodes. It's really sad to think somehow, in some people's minds, there is something that allows that to happen.

And watching it on a show like that you may not really see a resolution so that's tough to watch too. Knowing it's a definite possibility that nothing will change.

[Glory87]

Wow, I wish I had seen this one! Do you know when the show is on so I can set the DVR?

[DCHound]

Jeez, how is she still alive?

[Gela]

I think there are more shows to air on A&E. I saw it also and was very saddened by her situation. She had some beyond rotten food, knew it was rotten, knew she couldn't eat it (like the pumpkin) but left it in the room anyway. I about screamed when the guy was throwing out the pumpkin and she was trying to pick the seeds off it. Eeek!

[MissBliss]

I, too , was almost screaming as she picked at the pumpkin seeds. And the other family profiled wasn't any better. They were going to take her kids and she couldn't help herself....so sad! FYI: Monday nights at 10:00 on A&E

[JulieJ08]

I wonder if she actually eats the very old stuff or ever even tries. I could totally see it being part of her disconnect/delusion to talk like she thinks it's still edible, and suppressing that she never actually eats the old stuff.

I mean, how many people do you know who complain about this or that pet peeve, and it's something they do all they time, and they act like you're crazy if you say so?

[Heather]

It's hard to watch things like that, because in part it's hard for us to put ourselves in their shoes. Hard to understand how keeping the rotted food around could ever be a comfort and a reduction in anxiety.

The hard part about hoarding, unlike other kinds of OCD, is that the person who does it is not usually as bothered by the activity -- it drives others crazy. But the person who has to wash their hands 100s of times recognizes that this behavior is dysfunctional and affects their daily life.

[kuhrisuh]

Oooohhh yeah.. I watched it alright! Had to change the channel when she pulled out that drawer with all the rotting veggies.. it was really sad!

[kaplods]

This reminds me of the true crime bio I read of Laurie Dann, the former babysitter who shot six kids at an elementary school in 1988. She was a hoarder of raw meat, and would buy raw meat or steal it from the homes she babysat for and hide it under her bed. Of course, she wasn't "just" a hoarder, she was also severely psychotic.

[HotWings]

Wow I was going to watch this & I missed it - will try to catch it another time. The rotting food will probably make me gag, though. YUCK.

[famograham]

I saw it too. I am completely fascinated by these types of disorders. I also watched all of the "Obsessed" series that was on Mondays after "Intervention", which I also watch.

There were most certainly moments in the food one, where I was absolutely squirming in my chair. I can't imagine the level of denial it takes to live like that! I can't remember if she said it or not, but I would think that this kind of thing would stem from not having enough when she was young?

It was so sad, as all of these situations are! Yes, the Mom who was possibly going to have her kids taken away was SO upsetting too!

I think to truly fix this problem, a person would need LONG, LONG term therapy. Something so deep-seated could never be fixed by having someone come in and empty out the house in two days. Sure, it fixes the problem short term...but hoarding is a really tough one to heal!

I wish I could help!

[irishsarah]

I watched it too. The show replaced "Obsessed", which featured people with all different forms of OCD.

The couple with the kids...I tried to feel compassion for. I really, really did. I know OCD is a real problem, that requires intervention but knowing that; if there was a chance someone was going to take my kids away because of the OCD, then you had better believe my @$$ would be getting help IMMEDIATELY. I was so mad at those two.

I used to cut the grass for an elderly woman when I was around 13 that had a hoarding problem. Hers had to do with papers. Newspapers, magazines...she literally filled her entire house from floor to ceiling with towers of magazines and newspapers. Her entire garage was crammed to bursting. (I had to bring our lawn mower to cut her grass.) She just had a pathway to the bathroom, living room and kitchen. My mom often commented that if that house caught on fire the whole end of our street was doomed! That or if one of those towers fell on her, she'd die and no one would be able to find her. She was a widow and her only son died in Vietnam.

[SweetScrumptious]

I watched this episode - such a bizarre from of OCD. I was trying to imagine the smell but couldn't ... oh man. YUCK!