'Hoarders': Is Mary's Cluttered House Making Her Sick? (VIDEO)

On "Hoarders" (Mon., 9 p.m. EST on A&E) Mary acknowledged that the cluttered way she was living wasn't safe. And then she had a very close call.

After she was found in bed with chest pains, an ambulance crew arrived at her over-stuffed house and medics -- who have to wear face masks because of the unsanitary conditions inside the house -- found her unresponsive in the back bedroom.

An EMT diagnosed her as being in respiratory distress caused by the gases and fumes in her home. It was a very dangerous situation for all concerned, and with no path to get her out through the house, they had to take her out through the window.

"Hoarders" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on A&E.

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Comments

[Liagutierrez]

09:16 AM on 01/18/2012

After watching this show for the first time, i realized my mother is a hoarder. My parents home has all the rooms filled to the top with things my mother buys but never uses. I try to help her clean up but she refuses. it's really frustrating.

[Vimala Nowlis]

03:19 PM on 01/17/2012

It is clear that she lives in a toxic dump. The house did not make her sick. She made the house sick because they now have to condemn the house and tear it down because of her.

[ForCryinOutLoud]

11:03 PM on 01/17/2012

and who do you think is gonna pay for all that? Not her, not her family....us taxpayers. Lovely.

[houseiowapark]

03:01 PM on 01/17/2012

It is really sad. I think the people who work with these hoarders are compassionate and the show is educational. Something needs to be done and this show has helped many to achieve some kind of solution. A lot of these hoarders are probably a mere shell of their former selves because of trauma experienced in the past.

[cat540011]

02:47 PM on 01/17/2012

Sadly, many people don't understand mental illness. It's evident by some of the posts on here. Mental illnesses destoy lives and families. So does ignorance.

[dryan9696]

02:59 PM on 01/17/2012

Right on!

[ForCryinOutLoud]

11:14 PM on 01/17/2012

yes it does.

But at what point when you have a sick loved one do you intervene? When my mother refused to get medical care and was obviously in severe distress, we made her go to the ER. Sadly, it was too late...she died a few days later of Congestive Heart Failure and an almost inactive thyroid.

When I tried to commit suicide after my son was born, I was taken by EMS to the ER, stomach pumped, liquid charcoal, etc.....and I laid in ICU unconsious for 5 days. And then I was forced to get follow up mental health care (turns out I am bipolar and the postpartum issues triggered my severe depression).

But no one that loved me just sat there and said "oh well, she doesnt want to take her pills or go to the therapy, what can we do? Its her choice." Nope..they loved me enough to DO something about it.

but we didn't all ignore the big white elephant in the middle of the room....we dealt with it! Family, friends, even my kids....everyone helped. Even if it just meant someone did the laundry for my ex/cooked a meal.When I got home, took the kids so I could get some rest or not be overwhelmed.

They showed they cared by HELPING.

[cat540011]

11:43 PM on 01/17/2012

I'm glad you were blessed with a family that cared enought to help you through a terrible time.
No one can be helped unless they want help.

[houseiowapark]

02:39 PM on 01/17/2012

I was watching this episode last night(I have to get the guts to watch these shows) and I got my husband to watch a few minutes of it. He was gagging and I came close to doing it. These peoole hoard but they also hoard trash and animals and who knows what. The filth is astounding. OMG!!
There was also a woman on this episode who cleans for others and her house is crawling with roaches and her kitchen is disgusting. I wonder if she got fired from her cleaning jobs after this episode?
I would say their families have waited way too long to step in on these situations. These people are definitely mentally ill to live in such squalid conditions. Pitiful.

[ForCryinOutLoud]

11:19 PM on 01/17/2012

the lady who cleans other houses....I wonder how many other homes she infested with roaches by carrying the egg sacks or live bugs on her clothing or from her car? Those things are NASTY to get rid of and yet so easy to spread!

I think the hoarding and the squalor/filth are 2 separate issues that are piggy-backing each other. I remember watching some episodes where they couldnt use the kitchen to cook, but it wasn't a biohazard. Mostly just junk piled to the ceilings in every room.

But the network must be losing viewers if they have started using tummy-turning nastiness to keep their ratings.

Never got into Fear Factor, Dirty jobs,etc.....this level of despair and sickness does not appeal to me as entertaining or educating either.

I honestly think they are preying upon ppl who cannot possibly make clear-minded judgements about anything, let alone choosing to let the world see their horror.

[houseiowapark]

10:27 AM on 01/18/2012

I think you are right. The show does enlighten us to the fact that there are people like this out there. I wonder how many work in the food industry or health industry. Oooohh.

[cafebeege]

02:18 PM on 01/17/2012

The term "hoarders" seems to be used for people who "collect" but don't keep their "collections" organized. Is that right ? And then there seems to be the ones that actually have trash and unsanitary filth in their homes. I'm wondering where you "draw the line" in using the term "hoarders". I know people who collect massive things over many years, but it all is very organized in closets, etc. One person actually had a warehouse where he kept equipment, tools, motorcycle, etc. I have lived in this same home for almost 40 yrs. All the closets are filled with clothes, and items. One in particular are items bought when I traveled to foreign countries and it has Japanese kimonos, etc. for example. Am I considered a "hoarder" by any of you because I haven't worn any in many years ? I don't think so. Maybe a grandaughter will enjoy my foreign treasures. Or is this "condition" only when it becomes unhealthy and lifethreatening I'm guessing ?

[PublicMemo]

03:51 PM on 01/17/2012

Yes you are correct. There is a difference between collecting, clutter and hoarding in excess. Some of the people can get attached to 10 yr old ketchup packets that are truly horrid and rancid food. It is one thing to be messy it is another to become a hoarder. It is like the opposite of the show with Monk. He had OCD where he had to put everything in order.Your closet of treasures would be a nightmare to someone with that type of OCD. I'm glad you are asking the question instead of being judgmental.PEACE!

[cafebeege]

04:50 PM on 01/17/2012

Thanks Public...:o) Seems to me that all these "disorders" (that term professionals like to put on them) all fall on/in some kind of spectrum/range like a pendulum of a clock.

Guess if I had a relative or friend suffering from this, I would go visit her/him ALOT and stick things like rancid ketchup in a LARGE baggie in my purse and gradually secretly clean out the most cruddy stuff.....:o) WHILE gently and lovingly encouraging them to get some med help (had MANY MD's in my family). This sounds like a form of OCD. Compulsivity, only the opposite.

[pslcitizen]

02:15 PM on 01/17/2012

Time to move these people into a very small efficiency with a restriction on what they can spend &/or collect.. Tough love!

[Mouse223]

02:12 PM on 01/17/2012

I'm kind of a hoarder. I keep papers and things of personal value. I do, however, clean out things about twice a year XD

[cafebeege]

02:42 PM on 01/17/2012

Cleaning things out (files, personal papers) 2x a yr. is better than me Mouse. It's all I can do to keep up with the JUNK MAIL that we are suffocated with !!! And I can't do that as well as I would like. I HATE IT !!! Besides, you have every right to keep things of "personal value".

[MartinGillespie]

02:08 PM on 01/17/2012

This is so hilarious! This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. I'm going to have to start watching this show!!

[LXIX WITHU]

02:23 PM on 01/17/2012

Yeah, there is some amazing "stuff" going on.

[MartinGillespie]

06:43 PM on 01/17/2012

hahaha - well played!

[Vimala Nowlis]

03:23 PM on 01/17/2012

Just make sure you have a strong stomach because the show made me gag and sick after 5 minutes. Amazing how you have to be a freak to be on reality shows. Reality shows are the modern version of the side shows of old circuses that used to display bearded lady and conjoined twins and people with 8 limbs. The freaks are still with us but they are now angry sexually dysfunctional drunks with mental problems.

[MartinGillespie]

06:44 PM on 01/17/2012

What, do they show them defecating on themselves or something?

[twoshoes4u]

02:01 PM on 01/17/2012

These hoarders don't appear to be "suffering" from their alleged "mental disorder." They love their stuff and after the TV network leaves they will just replace their stuff with more stuff. This is comtemporary entertainment folks! You're loving it and that's it's being exploited.

[ms04121966]

02:07 PM on 01/17/2012

You sound like a hoarder!

[Dana Marie Arnold]

02:09 PM on 01/17/2012

If you had ever watched the show you would know that after the cameras leave the hoarders are offered long term counseling and help. Some accept the help, some do not.

[mistykay13]

02:01 PM on 01/17/2012

I can understand where in some cases these hoarders may be incapacitated by depression resulting in their inability to keep their homes clean/manageable and after years of that inactivity the squalor prevails! In my profession I've been in too many of these homes to count! The people were frequently elderly retired professionals (college professors, doctors, teachers, etc.). Clutter turns into garbage. It gets to the point of being overwhelming and the hoarder mentally tunes out and becomes oblivious to the environment. I REALLY feel the most sorry for their pets! I;ve also seen many homes with younger parents who are just lazy slugs! Their children and pets are eventually rescued because social services can get involved on behalf of removing the children as that environment is considered child abuse, and animal control can get involved because that environment is considered animal abuse. I also feel sorry for landlords who have such a difficult time getting such hoarder tenants out of their property! You'd almost be better off getting the fire company to come in and do a controlled burn because you certainly can't rehab the home!

[houseiowapark]

02:51 PM on 01/17/2012

Control burn is exactly what I thought. Paint and soap and water won't do it, it is in the walls, air ducts, everywhere. I don't even think tearing out the dry wall would do it.
If you have to go in these places, I feel sorry for you. I don't know what you get paid, but it is not enough.
My husband had to go in an apartment where an elderly lady lived in squalor. He could not breath, it was so bad. He reported it to Adult Services and she was moved out in a couple of weeks. She needed to be in nursing home care.

[acarioti]

02:00 PM on 01/17/2012

Hoarding is a psychological priblem that requires treatment.

[ForCryinOutLoud]

11:24 PM on 01/17/2012

and then their loved ones ought to be charged with neglect for NOT getting them help, even if it means having them involuntarily committed for a time!

[Cathy Sapp]

01:57 PM on 01/17/2012

I agree we as a society need to stop modly coddling this people........They need a WAKE UP CALL. Psycology/Psychritry are a bunch of BS, They don't help people they just want to drug them. Hoading is not a mental illness , these people have never been shown how to cope with life. Life isn't fair and people can lose their loved ones in a heartbeart. It's time that we start committing these people to a home. Or jail. At least there they can collect anything.

[mmbcf]

01:23 PM on 01/17/2012

I can't watch this show or believe its still on TV. People must enjoy watching others with mental illness struggle. If you don't have a particular mental illness, then you can't understand it. You may want people to understand your anxiety and depression yet think its ok to make fun of hoarders. Put yourself in their shoes, at least they can afford a home and possessions to fill it. A lot of mentally ill cant do that

[Mister Serene]

01:49 PM on 01/17/2012

You must not be watching the program because it surely does not make fun of the hoarders. If anything, the therapists create a very unsympathetic portrait by making excuses for them and letting them have so much say in getting rid of their filth and clutter. Watch a couple of episodes and you want the hoarders drugged and hospitalized while the families or authorities get rid of the trash without the hoarder in the way.

[ms04121966]

02:18 PM on 01/17/2012

You're assuming an awful lot. For myself, it's a matter of trying to understand the mindset that causes people to hoard things or just live surrounded by garbage. No one is trying to make fun of these people. They need help and this show may just help someone recognize this problem beginning in themselves or in a family member and to learn how to help. There are people in this world who want to understand and help others and this show is a great teaching tool.

I'm sure there are people who just like to make fun of others and put people down, as you suggest, but I believe those viewers are a minute minority and probably make fun of people in other situations as well.

[LeslieTS1]

01:23 PM on 01/17/2012

I have been in many homes as this for work. I was a repair tech. and we had to go into these places whether we wanted to or not if we wanted to keep our job or not be punished some how as a raise. It was one of the big retail companies of the 70's that I worked for.

[houseiowapark]

03:45 PM on 01/17/2012

My husband is a tech also, now a self employed contractor and he is so glad to be his own boss because he has refused to work in conditions such as this. Clean people catch stuff from these places. He feels your pain, man.