Hoarders, eh?
Probably most everybody has watched a few episodes of the American reality series since it hit the airwaves back in 2009. Granted, it is an acquired taste.
Hoarding is described as a mental illness in which a person has irrational attachments to material items that may have no actual value. They are collectors to the extreme. Hoarders also have an inability to discard things, even if it is of absolutely no use to them.
There are some six million Canadians who suffer from this.
Hoarders Canada makes its debut Saturday, March 4 on the Canadian specialty channel Makeful.
According to a news release from the producers, Blue Ant Media: “The Canadian format brings awareness to this often misunderstood disorder highlighting the emotional pain along with the physical challenges to help remove the stigma and shame associated with it.”
They have cast psychologists, clinical therapists and professional organizers to assist the hoarders to understand their situation, work on a clean-up plan and offer free aftercare.
I am a big fan of the TV show's American version.
Let me be clear, I don’t watch out of any sense of judgment or enjoyment of these people’s sad situations, but it is fascinating how things escalate. It seems to usually be rooted in some intense loss and the difficulty of letting go.
No doubt, we have all said about ourselves: “I’m a hoarder.”
Most of us are not, even though we may have the tendency to have too much stuff. Don’t we all have a junk drawer or 10? A guest room crammed with stuff? A garage that has everything in it besides a vehicle?
I always feel like I am in de-clutter mode trying to sort and toss, fill donation boxes for charity or hand stuff off to friends who also appreciate stuff.
But, hoarding is far different. These people literally can’t differentiate between garbage and useful items. It pains them to throw out anything — be it old clothes, dirty dishes or even outdated food.
You can imagine the health and safety issues from all that junk in a home.
So, yes it is disgusting, which is precisely why it makes for interesting programming.
When you watch the American episodes, you get a full picture on how hard it is for family members and friends. It seems so obvious to most of us to just pitch the garbage and clean up, but these people need to look at and touch every single item and make a decision on whether to toss, keep or donate.
It can be excruciating to watch it play out. However, the professionals used on the show are very compassionate.
I have learned a lot about good organizational ideas. Professional organizers often say you are not honouring your stuff — whether it be photos or family mementos — if they are in boxes in a crawlspace in your basement.
If it's really important to you, it should be displayed prominently.
I know for a fact I don’t know half of what I have stored year after year and move after move. You may be the same.
For better or worse, when I watch Hoarders, I feel somewhat better about myself.
It is maybe a bit like the Housewives franchise. You compare yourself to those hot messes and think, 'Whew, at least I’m not as messed up as those table flipping wine guzzling overly botoxed babes.'
It will be interesting to see if there are noticeable differences between Hoarders' American and Canadian franchises.
I’ll go out on a limb and say our version will have more Tim Hortons cups, knitted toques and hockey equipment in the piles.
And I bet we apologize more for the mess.
In all seriousness, though, I hope those featured get the help they need.
