The television reality show “Hoarders” takes a hard look into the lives of people who live with this terrible disorder that causes them to form unusual attachments to items that are usually not of any value. They become obsessive in their compulsion to gather more things around them. Most of the people who suffer with this condition prefer to keep the items that they hoard nearby, filling their homes to the maximum capacity and beyond. This television show isn’t easy for some people to watch, and while it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, the program serves a necessary purpose. Here are the reasons why the show “Hoarders” is still more relevant than ever
The show is educational
There are many things that we can take away from watching one or several episodes of the television show “Hoarders.” The first is that hoarding is a serious mental condition and it afflicts more people than we realize. We learn from watching the show that some hoarders are obvious to their friends, neighbors and relatives while others keep it a guarded secret and still go to work without anybody knowing that their home is filled beyond its capacity.
We learn about the signs of hoarding
If you are acquainted or akin to a person who avoids inviting you to their home and always finds an excuse why they can’t receive visitors, hoarding might be behind the strange behavior. Hoarders who want to keep their problem a secret will alienate friends and family so they won’t try to interfere with the hoarding behaviors. On the show we’ve seen countless people who refuse help and they become highly agitated when loved ones try to help clean up the mess. They won’t even let them throw away a scrap of paper or an old magazine or paper bag because it holds some sentimental value to the hoarder. Their feelings are so strong about holding on to elements of the hoard that others view as trash or refuse that they will sabotage relationships with loved ones, choosing the hoard over their families.
It’s a problem in society that is being highlighted
We often talk about making the world a better place and helping those who are in need. The television show “Hoarders” is bringing a real issue in American society to the fore and exposing it in an effort to educate the public about the psychological conditions that affect people who feel the need to hoard. The characters and licensed professionals who attempt to help the persons with hoarding disorders explain the nature of the condition and we learn that it is most often brought about after a person experiences a profound loss of some type. The loss of a loved one through death, divorce or other traumatic life events can trigger the condition to develop. Many hoarders feel a rush of excitement and happiness when they purchase or procure an item that they deem suitable for keeping. They continue to collect for the psychological life that they get from their acquisition.
The show may help save lives
We’ve seen that many hoarders are not award of just how serious and unhealthy their living conditions become. Homes that were once structurally sound and beautifully decorated are so filled with refuse that items mold at the bottom and pests such as ants, cockroaches, rats and mice frequently live in the piles of garbage in the home. They leave behind their feces which prevents yet another health hazard making the air dangerous to breathe. The mold that forms from moisture within the piles of trash is also hazardous. We’ve seen countless homes that have experienced failures in water and sewage pipes compounding the problem. The homeowners can’t get to the problems to repair them because of the massive amounts of hoarded items and the problems get worse with some homes developing pools of septic waste on the floors beneath the trash. Water damage causes floors, walls and structural supports to fail and the piles of items stacked to the ceiling create a fire hazard. Most of these homes would be death traps in the event of a fire.
A call to action
The show reveals that there is help for people who experience this condition but the road to recovery is long and hard. It takes friends and family getting involved and if need be, contacting local authorities who will come in and assess the situation. Hoarders won’t leave the home unless they are forced to. Sometimes it takes eviction or the threat of losing a home to get them to accept treatment and help in restoring their homes to a livable environment. We need the show hoarders to remind us that there is a segment of the population in our own nation that is in need of outreach and help.
