MovieChat Forums > Hoarders (2009) Discussion > Judy: germaphobe and a hoarder.....

Judy: germaphobe and a hoarder.....

posted 9 years ago by Gubbio
19 replies | jump to latest

This woman needs intense therapy. She goes through cleaning rituals AND ALSO chooses to live in garbage, filth, squalor, dog feces -- and I house full of mice (which she feeds!) and their crap.

Extremely OCD, she couldn't get rid of a scrap of soiled newspaper or a paper bag without examining every crease and fold, because in her words, "There might be a dollar there."

As long as I watch this show, I'll never understand how people cross the line between having "too many things" and choosing to live in garbage till it's 3 feet high.

Hoarding possessions is one thing. Choosing to live in shít simply baffles me.  It seems like a completely different mental illnes.

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

This woman needs intense therapy. She goes through cleaning rituals AND ALSO chooses to live in garbage, filth, squalor, dog feces -- and I house full of mice (which she feeds!) and their crap.

Hey there, Gubster!  Yep, she has to tear apart paper bags to make sure they don't have a penny...or something...in them, and her house is filled with feces and urine, but she's a germophobe. Interesting!

As long as I watch this show, I'll never understand how people cross the line between having "too many things" and choosing to live in garbage till it's 3 feet high.

THREE FEET high? My friend...my fellow old geezer...I do believe it's time for you to get your eyes checked!  Most of those piles are much higher than three feet. We often see people touching, or nearly touching, the ceiling as they're crawling over the piles. Ugh.

--

http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] Gubbio 9 years ago

Most of those piles are much higher than three feet. We often see people touching, or nearly touching, the ceiling as they're crawling over the piles. Ugh.

Hi, Grace. I thought I'd run into you here.

"Three feet high." I'm just being kind. The truth defies description.

That Judy needs a good kick in the ass.

I'll never understand how or why people CHOOSE to live like that. Too me, there's a HUGE disconnect between loving your "things" -- and throwing all your garbage and feces on the floor. 😨 

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

I'll never understand how or why people CHOOSE to live like that. Too me, there's a HUGE disconnect between loving your "things" -- and throwing all your garbage and feces on the floor.

It defies all logic, right? ESPECIALLY for a person who is also a germophobe. 

However, I do think I understand how it happens, at least in loose terms. It's a process--it doesn't just appear one day as a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling pile! The pile starts out growing a little at a time. For whatever reason--depression, loneliness, physical problems, etc.--the stuff gets left there instead of being dealt with. Then more gets added to it...and more...and more...until the results we see on the show(s). Okay, so that explains the logistics of it, but what about when other people live in the house?

That's the part that always confounds me, especially when it's a spouse. I understand that children probably feel helpless/hopeless and really aren't equipped to deal with confronting their parent. But a spouse? Why do spouses allow their homes to get turned into these giant, festering cesspools of crap?! 

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] LoneWolfAttack 9 years ago

This woman needs intense therapy. She goes through cleaning rituals AND ALSO chooses to live in garbage, filth, squalor, dog feces -- and I house full of mice (which she feeds!)

That was my favorite part. Ick, germs, gotta wear gloves... but let's allow the rats free reign so I can get the hantavirus.

[–] Gubbio 9 years ago

That was my favorite part. Ick, germs, gotta wear gloves... but let's allow the rats free reign so I can get the hantavirus.

That and the fact that she deemed people she thought of as "unclean" to be "low lives."

"Pot," allow me to introduce you to "Kettle!"

That woman needs a keeper. 

[–] ilovemyrv 9 years ago

I started to watch this ep until they got to the mouse part and I had to turn the channel. Just recently I had a "mouse scare" in my house where I thought there was one, and I literally cried I was so freaked out at the thought of a mouse running around my kitchen. And this woman was feeding them!!!

I did turn back to watch the last few minutes and saw that the cleaning team wasn't able to finish, and what they did uncover was major safety issues in the floors of the house.

I do think that Judy has a major disconnect in her brain and needs meds and therapy, and probably assisted living. It must be exhausting to be her.

Did they manage to get the mouse situation under control? *shudder*

[–] Silver_Bullets 9 years ago

Did they manage to get the mouse situation under control? *shudder*

Yes they called an exterminator and Judy was forced to say goodbye to all her mouse friends.

[–] SmokyBrownEyes 9 years ago

I started to watch this ep until they got to the mouse part and I had to turn the channel. Just recently I had a "mouse scare" in my house where I thought there was one, and I literally cried I was so freaked out at the thought of a mouse running around my kitchen. And this woman was feeding them!!!

I had to turn the channel too for a few minutes. I am petrified of mice and freaked out seeing numerous mice running around in circles *shutters. The newspapers were soiled with mice urine but she was trying to hold onto them in case there was something she hasn't "read yet".

[–] SnapCrackledThePop 9 years ago

Let's not forget she was wearing diapers and throwing them in the bathtub. I wanted to smack that lady in the face.

[–] hedkickboy 9 years ago

We only saw one in the bathtub. At first, I was trying to figure out where the rest of them were. Then I stopped ttrying becasue I remembered I probably didn't want to know the answer.

[–] hedkickboy 9 years ago

I just saw this one for the first time, and I think Judy is the Hoarder I have felt the most sorry for. I have felt great empathy for the family members in the past (there was one with an older mom fro Louisiana whose daughter took in her son and the Son was now grown but the Mom was completely oblivious to how much she had ruined her sons life) but this was the first time I really felt awful for the Hoarder. As frustrating as she was, Judy clearly seems very sick and her anxieties are absolutely decimating her ability to live even a somewhat normal life. Furthermore, she actually seems semi-aware of how bad she really is, but come across as powerless to do anything about it, all without really seeing herself as a victim of the disease.

Everyone tried so hard to help her and I actually got the feeling she tried, but is just emotionally incapable of the changes needed. So very sad.

[–] stevenackerman69 9 years ago

Yeah, they couldn't help her completely and had to stop the clean-up. The thing is she needs to understand that this way of living is not healthy and that they are trying to help her. That whole bit with the pants that were urine soaked. Look in the pockets and see if there is any money there. Then throw the thing out for Pete's sake, you don't need that.

Again, nobody can force anyone to change. Like all diseases, it must be addressed by the person having it, otherwise there is no hope.

[–] stevenackerman69 9 years ago

Another thing she and her family needs to do is lose weight. I know a doctor that would scream at them for being this fat.

[–] disinter 9 years ago

Let's not forget she was wearing diapers and throwing them in the bathtub.

Is it just me or was it implied at some point that she may be using them for convenience and not out of necessity?

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

Is it just me or was it implied at some point that she may be using them for convenience and not out of necessity?

Yes, definitely. Dr Tolin had that figured out pretty quickly. He asked the daughter if Judy was incontinent, and later said "I can do the math"--there were adult diaper packages all over the house, one unusable bathroom and one inaccessible bathroom, combined with her refusal to talk about it, so it all added up to convenience, not incontinence.

--

http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] disinter 9 years ago

so it all added up to convenience, not incontinence.

Disgusting as hell. Can you imagine that?

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

Disgusting as hell. Can you imagine that?

Yeah, I know. But for some of these hoarders...I don't know, I guess they're just so far off the charts when it comes to having lost all sense of normalcy, it doesn't even bother them to be peeing and pooping in diapers when they don't actually NEED diapers.

In the months before my mom died--when diapers had become the norm for her--I would joke with her that I was going to start using her diapers at night so I wouldn't have to get up to pee! The operative word being JOKE.

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] yg-7 9 years ago

I think it's a mix of depression where some people just don't see the point of trying. And when they get the desire to try, it's too overwhelming. Add hoarding and the inability to stop hoarding and I can see where they just give up altogether. It keeps spiraling from depression to trying to being overwhelmed until they are mentally incapable of moving any farther. Then they start to feel they deserve to live like that... Add shame to let anyone see it or to call in help. Looks like a nightmare to me.

"... and I am unanimous in that!"- Mrs. Slocombe

[–] avortac4 (3770) 3 years ago

The good thing about this show is, it inspires the viewer to clean their home, just like the other show called 'Hotel Impossible'. When that guy shows all the dirt in those hotels, it's extremely inspiring..