MeleVision: TV Junkie

‘HOARDERS’ airs Monday Nights, @ 10pm on the A&E channel.

Oh. My. God.

Have YOU seen this show? Seriously. Has anyone here seen this show?

I’ve recently watched back-to-back episodes of the series Hoarders, and now, I am utterly compelled to write about it. First of all, I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to walk into a house that looks [or smells] like the ones on this show. I find myself shocked, horrified, and totally sucked in.

Each episode features different people afflicted with Hoarding. Hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive-compulsive need to collect things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous or unsanitary.

The series takes an interesting look at the lives of people whose inability to part with their belongings has become completely out of control. By the time the trained professionals arrive on the scene, these people have clearly surpassed what I would consider the Crisis Stage.

Some hoarding has gotten so bad people are facing eviction, divorce, jail time, and even the loss of their children. Take for instance, a woman named Augustine.

14 years ago, Jason was removed from his mother Augustine’s home by Child Protective Services because of her hoarding. She was never able to clean up enough to have him return. Now, as an adult living on the other side of the country, he is filled with shame and resentment, but unable to turn his back on her. Her hoarding has become so severe that she has lived without water, gas, heat or appliances for the last four years–bathing only once a week at her sister’s house. Complaints from neighbors have instigated a court ordered clean-up and she is now facing fines and the threat of jail time. The episode follows Jason as he tries one last time to rescue his mother from the filth he escaped from years ago.

What amazed me the most, aside from the condition of her house, was her total lack of emotions, and her seamless ability to place the blame on everyone else. I was blown away by her actions, and the fact that she had a kickass Flat Screen TV in the midst of absolute ciaos.

Sometimes while watching this show, I can literally feel my skin crawl. The astonishing amount of debris sends my own OCD need to make all things shiny – kick into overdrive. However, as much as I love to clean things, I would never be able to tackle the monumental task of dealing with this particular brand of dirty. When cleaning of that nature requires the use of rakes and shovels just to get a handle on over four thousand pounds of garbage, I think you should cut your losses and light a match.

On the other hand, I feel deeply for the families impacted by this affliction. The shame on the faces of the children who have grown up and subsequently moved away from the individual is upsetting at best. I can’t help but feel even worse for the children who are too young to do anything about the situation they are trapped living in.

Honestly?

You really have to see the show for yourself to fully grasp the intensity of the situation in which these people live.

If you haven’t seen the show, I highly suggest that you do.

It’s more than just an eye-opener.

I am totally engrossed with this remarkable series.

Here is a little video clip for your viewing pleasure. {just try not to *gag* while watching it}