MovieChat Forums > Hoarders (2009) Discussion > Can hoarders really be cured?

Can hoarders really be cured?

posted 11 years ago by howtragic
30 replies | jump to latest

It seems to me that they can't. Yes, the house can get cleaned, but after watching many episodes of this show I am under the distinct impression that not one hoarder got better to the point of living in a sanitary and livable house long term.

I have a few hoarders (read: slobs) in my family. Every once in great while someone else will go over and help them clean up, but it is always a temporary fix. I do not think that there is any good cure for this condition, or at least I have seen no evidence of it.

[–] Faridah (1369) 2 years ago

Hoarding runs in my family. My grandma was a hoarder. She collected many things including gossip magazines. I remember one side of her bed had piles on the floor of these magazines that reached above the bed height and flowed up onto a dresser. That sticks in my mind for some reason.
When she passed my aunt inherited the house and she hoarded too. It took years to get house cleaned and ready to sale. My mother is also a hoarder but it my dad tries to keep the mess under control. She keeps it in spare rooms and piles and piles around the house such as in a corner. I am a collector and go overboard at times buying stuff I like but each item I get has a space and isn’t too messy.

I don’t think hoarders can be cured. I see it as an alcoholic. It’s an addiction that gives people a high. It’s hard to stop and I think that impulse will always be there.