Lately I have been watching 2 shows that strike a nerve with me, Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive. For anyone who's unfamiliar with these programs, they're about people who hoard things and their homes become unlivable. Sometimes they're just overstuffed with possessions, and other times they are downright filthy. And oftentimes the hoarders are not the only ones affected by their compulsive actions. Far too often their families are stuck in this nightmare, living in a house that by all means should be condemned and deemed uninhabitable. What bothers me the most are the episodes where there are kids involved, and tonight is one of those episodes.
One of the hoarders on tonight's show is a single mother of 3 little girls. She openly acknowledges that there is a problem, but has done absolutely nothing before now to rectify it. And her children are suffering the consequences. The refrigerator is stuffed with rotting food, so much so that the mother even says the smell could make someone pass out. One of the daughters is already exhibiting some hoarding behavior (she breaks down crying over throwing away a box of broken pieces of toys), and another daughter (who is only 7) is so depressed by the entire situation that she has written notes and letters saying that she wishes she would die. These little girls break my heart...they shouldn't have to live like this. Essentially for years this woman has chosen to put her compulsion before her family...her flesh and blood. I'm disgusted.
Now while on one hand I applaud the people on this show, the organizers and the therapists, for stepping in and helping...and I applaud the creators of the show for providing services for these people that they may not have had the courage or the resources to solicit otherwise...I just can't help but think that this is unfortunately objectifying or glorifying the underlying problem. These people clearly need help, more than what can be canned into a one-hour segment (half-hour, really, because there are 2 cases per show). And so much seems to be sugar-coated and glossed over...I can only hope the "real" work with these people goes on behind the scenes and after the show. Hoarding is a mental illness...these people need therapy, not 15 minutes of fame.
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