Extreme Hoarding: The Opposite of Healthy and Green Living

Some have tons of trash in their home. Some have no bed on which to sleep or no kitchen in which to prepare decent meals. They are extreme hoarders.

Imagine a home so loaded with possessions and trash that rescue workers can’t make their way in without drilling a hole in the roof. Or having to crawl through self-made tunnels to move around your own house.

That is the grim reality for hoarders — people who accumulate possessions and/or trash and cannot bring themselves to part with anything. Exact numbers are unknown, but it is estimated that up to 1.2 million people in the U.S suffer from compulsive hoarding.

Hoarding takes many forms, from the collection of newspapers and magazines to what most of us would consider to be garbage, with piles of boxes, bags, collectibles, trash, and stuff… accumulating and spreading throughout the home and property.

Hoarding can result in health problems as well as family tension and estrangement.

Animal Hoarding
The Humane Society reports that each year, almost 250,000 animals are victims of animal hoarding. The Society differentiates animal hoarding from other types of animal abuse by the fact that the perpetrators don’t always recognize the cruelty they are inflicting on the animals — they usually believe they are rescuing or saving the animals and are unaware of the filth and odor.

Unfortunately, these animals suffer from neglect, starvation, and unsanitary conditions. Often, deceased animals are found among the living animals, encouraging insect and rodent infestations. These conditions also threaten the health of the human occupants of the home. It is not uncommon for these homes to be condemned by the health department.

Next: Hoarders on Reality TV… teachable moments or exploitation?

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Joe R.

8:09AM PDT on May 23, 2012

Interesting. Thanks.

send a green star

Emma S.

8:03AM PST on Dec 2, 2011

Thanks for this article - it's made me realise I'm not really a hoarder, just chaotic. Which is probably a bit easier to deal with. It's mostly paper and stuff, and I need to file, as well as recycle a lot (because I'll probably find that most of it would be available online anyway).

Linda J.

1:48AM PDT on May 13, 2011

Both, until we become aware of something, we cannot help change it.

Bente S.

12:58PM PDT on Oct 8, 2010

It is not uncommon for people to need professional help when they are mentally ill.

Claire S.

12:46PM PDT on Sep 27, 2010

It's unfortunate that some people feel that they have to keep collecting stuff. What's even more unfortunate is that a lot of time the only reason several hoarders have been able to recover is that family has abandoned them, people have called child services on them, and so on.

Denise S.

1:06PM PDT on Sep 26, 2010

My husband is an EXTREME horder that will not throw anything away for fear that he "will find a use for it later if he tosses it" How do I deal with this? It's driving me crazy. I am physically handicapped and unable to remove the junk myself. HELP! I'm being buried under an avalanche of stuff!

Darle W.

12:12AM PDT on Sep 22, 2010

I wish I knew what causes this condition for sure. Hoarding animals is a whole different thing from hoarding possesions.

Carol C.

11:32AM PDT on Sep 19, 2010

A sad but interesting article.

chiari l.

7:28AM PDT on Sep 17, 2010

feel bad for the animals first then the people.

Margaret B.

11:13AM PDT on Sep 7, 2010

Hoarding is a mental illness. Your belongings become a prison. The issue I have with hoarding is when it involves living creatures. I don't care if you own 10,000 magazines and it takes up a small room. I care if you have 100 animals in a small house and they are sick and starving.