Changing the world one gift at a time.
www.freecycle.org
Posted on 01/09/2006 6:22:49 AM PST by plain talk
A woman in Shelton, Wash., who was reported missing by her husband, was found dead under piles of clutter in their home, where she suffocated to death, according to police. Shelton Police Chief Terry Davenport said the home was so cluttered that police officers' heads touched the ceiling as they climbed over the clutter.
Authorities found the body of 62-year-old Marie Rose buried under clothes after 10 hours of searching. She reportedly suffered from a condition known as hoarding. Rose's husband believes she fell while looking for the phone in the house this week and suffocated. There were so many piles of items that the man did not realize she was dead in the home.
(Excerpt) Read more at local6.com ...
"He advises a three-point check-up on the state of personal relationships, the work environment and control over daily life, because improving those areas will boost happiness"
I better get a job soon and a life soon.
I have at least one bookcase in every room in the house....Cookbooks in the kitchen, artsy stuff in the living room etc.
I do understand dealing with accumulating stuff. One of the best things I ever did was start buying those plastic drawer bins at Walmart. They come in different sizes and stack. I slap lables on the front of them and throw stuff in them etc. Absolutely a must have for crafting supplies.
I have them in different spots in the house...backs of closets, under beds, office, attic etc. OK, that is how I deal with the madness.
if i turn up missing, someone needs to tell xshub to check the stitchroom....
My mother hoards, but she has not gotten quite as bad as the cases I've read about. Things are not yet piled to the ceiling. She does, however, keep old newspapers and magazines STUFFED under her couch, planning to read them someday. She washes out and keeps old ziplock bags and has about a million plastic grocery bags stuffed into every nook and cranny. She buys clothes for her grandchildren and forgets about them until 5-10 years later when she stumbles across them in her closet. My sister and I hauled off several truckloads of PURE JUNK while she was away on vacation. She was NOT HAPPY at all!
She could not even tell what was missing, only that her closets and rooms were organized, therefore she knew stuff was missing! She immediately refilled the space.
Changing the world one gift at a time.
www.freecycle.org
Saw a television documentary about this disorder maybe a year ago. Positively wierd. The guy couldn't pass a yard sale or trash pile without stopping to take something. The house was full, so he had two storage sheds in the backyard (both full) and one rental storage bay.
They had a psychologist working with him, coaxing him to start with the rental bay, taking one item at a time to the dumpster. It was painful to watch. And then he'd go back again and retrieve the item from the dumpster.
On the other hand, a former acquaintance's auntie also had this problem, but on her passing they found the house (a wreck of a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere) was full of valuable antiques, paintings, and precious coins. Several million dollars.
I have been thrilled with freecycle.org, though. I find usable stuff I want to get rid of, post it on my area loop, and there is someone who wants it. They come pick it up too! I just leave it on my doorstep.
My mom once lived like this. It was in my formative years, and for a long time, I struggled to keep a clean house. I'm a lot better now.
I've seen it a couple of times in elderly ladies in the neighborhood. Part of it I assumed was that they grew up in extreme poverty and you didn't throw out ANYTHING that could be re-used.
My grandmother quilted and never ever ever threw away any piece of fabric, even if it was no bigger than a saucer. It could be used later!
Another lady had stacks of styrofoam meat trays, boxes of bottles, stacks of newspapers etc. Good news was it was organized, back news was her garbage can rarely had anything in it. So about once a month her granddaughters would go over while she was at a Dr's appointment and declutter as much as they dared.
She always noticed though ;)
I saw that documentary, too. What a strange disorder but, as you indicated, potentially lucrative!
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My SIL as well. At one time, she also hoarded cats. 30+, as well as all of the junk she wouldn't throw away. When the bank foreclosed, her husband took them all to a shelter. Sad.
Yeah, well, books are different...
I know someone sort of like this. She has babyfood that is over 15 years old and stacks of stuff everywhere. Some rooms of her house you can't even enter. It's a disaster and yet nothing anyone says makes any difference. I have helped her clean one room and it was awful. She acted like I were throwing away her prized possessions but it was 10 year old newspapers, magazines and other such TRASH.
Very sad!
Yes, www.luv2organize.com
Just let it go, sister. Just let it go! If the basement and garage are HIS areas, you don't need to apologize for the shape they're in. Don't make it your problem, when it's his.
DH has a machine shed (we live on a farm) where he keeps all of his cr@p (and a lot of it IS cr@p.) He has his beloved brush pile and his beloved scrap metal pile behind the shed. I have my own garage where I keep my potting area and all of my tomato cages, gardening tools and everything related to gardening...which can become a lot! That works for us.
Now, as for ME, I'm the guilty one when it comes to clutteirng up the basement; but I've made great strides in that area and I MAKE myself clean it out 2x a year. Besides, our house is old and it's a creepy "Silence of the Lambs" basement, so one wants to be in and out of there quickly, LOL!
But, you can't change other people...especially husbands. You've just got to work around what you're given. :)
Easy answer . . . I can't afford to buy more bookshelves.
Actually I think I'll save 10 just to be on the safe side.
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