My mother in-law is a compulsive horder. Her house is simply unbelievable, it boggles the mind to even comprehend the extent of it. Goat trails through the junk, 'food' in the fridge from years ago, mountains of jars and cans from the 70's, mountains and mountains of junk mixed with old antiques. There is a piano somehwere in their lounge but you would not know it, it has been swallowed by the mess. Rats, mice, rot, mold...On the 5 point scale of hording it would be up near a 4 sans human feaces.

Anyway I've started pushing for the family to do something. Mainly because it is like a dark cloud over the whole family and it affects my kids. It is sad that they will never go to their grandmothers house. My father-inlaw has kind of given up long ago. Also it will be good for my wife if something happens. Having grown up in that environment I think there is still a lot of hurt, also a lot of anger at the rest of the family for knowing about it but not doing anything.

My mother-in-law is a real battle axe though, I think it is fueled by her complulsions - the denial, the blinders, the rationalisations, the excuses etc.. My 3 year old seems to be the only one to really stand up to her to her face. It is a joy to watch.

Anyway I've discovered that I can get our city councill to give her a clean up order under the health act, hire someone to do it if the family doesn't and hook us up with other support organisations.

I have no illusions that she might actually get better, and is probably going end up being hospitalised from the stress of a forced clean up but I think it will be better for the family to get some resolution. I suspect the house would need to be bulldosed after.

Anyone else have any experience with horders? It is a really sad illness. I can't imagine the anxiety of it. My mother-in-law is a smart woman, went off and got a degree and a professional job at a time when women just did not do that. Her compulsions have mared her life like bad disease and it has priority over anything else including her own kids.

My wife has memories of toast with chunks taken out of it (mould) - soup with maggots in it ("they are just noodles")....

WOW! that is big time... and yes you should definitely do something about it 0_o
And here's me worrying about my shed that is full of junk that I want to get rid of but am too scared to go near because of spiders and spider webs .lol 

Sometimes it requires a bit of tough love to take care of a problem.  Compulsive hoarding is an illness.  And it is also a health issue.  The family would not be happy about it but you need to do something.

Your wife might not be happy and it may bring hard times, but you know that it must be done.  There have been several people here in Portland that were committed because it is a mental health issue as well as a general health issue.

My wife is fully supportive of the idea - it would ultimately be her call (or her dads) if we do do this.

My shed is full of junk too. I have this huge pile of firewood ready for winter but it creeps me out cause it seems to be infested with big roaches

There is a show on tele about that

People have an intervention and go in and clean the places up

You see the before and after of the places and it doesn't look like the same

Unless the person is willing it can be a pretty traumatic event. Also more often than not they just revert back to how they were before the clean-up but more weary of any offers of help.

I love seeing the before and after stuff though.

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Post Merge: January 18, 2010, 07:01:14 PM

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My mother-in-laws place is a bit like this - worse though