Sandy Hoards

I've been on a little bit of a hiatus lately, for a number of reasons, but I hope to resume reasonably regular posting very soon. In the meantime, I'd like to share a few recent news articles involving hoarding in my old home state of New Jersey, particularly in the context of last year's extremely damaging tropical storm, Sandy.

The Daily Record:

• April 7, 2013 - "Hoarding hits home: Sandy blew the lid off a New Jersey epidemic." (There is a comment thread about this article on Children of Hoarders Inc.'s Facebook page that might be worth a look.)
• April 8, 2013 - "Hoarders take toll on families: Relatives must often step in, seek assistance." (There is a comment thread about this article on Children of Hoarders Inc.'s Facebook page that might be worth a look.)

USA Today:

• April 8, 2013 - "Superstorm Sandy blew the lid off hoarding trend." (A condensed version of the April 7th Daily Record article.)

While I'll quibble with the headline characterizations of hoarding as an "epidemic" or as a "trend," the reporter, Lorraine Ash, did a pretty good job addressing the subject. Importantly, all of the articles include quotes from a few children of hoarders, including ChildrenOfHoarders.com spokesperson, Elizabeth Nelson. I particularly recommend the April 8th Daily Record article, which focuses on family impact.

HuffPo on Hoarding's Harsh Reality

On October 8, 2012, HuffPost Live, the new video streaming network from The Huffington Post, produced a segment on "Hoarding's Harsh Reality." Hosted by Alicia Menendez, the segment featured Frances Boudreaux (author and daughter of a hoarder), Sidney Patrick (blogger and advocate for children of hoarders), and Randy O. Frost (professor of psychology and hoarding researcher).

While the segment began with a general description of hoarding as a disorder, most of the discussion centered around the impact of hoarding on families and children. I think many children of hoarders will find both Ms. Boudreaux and Ms. Patrick to be refreshing and empowering voices. They really did a terrific job of conveying the challenges faced by children of hoarders and other family members.

Other children of hoarders contributed interesting thoughts in the segment's comments section, but, as is typical for internet comment sections, one or two miscreants shared their ignorance, showing that much more work needs to be done to increase awareness of the impact of hoarding on families.

To see the segment, visit "Hoarding's Harsh Reality."

PS. You can buy Frances Boudreaux's book, Where the Sun Don't Shine and the Shadows Don't Play, through Amazon and other booksellers, and you can read Sidney Patrick's blog at My Mother In Law is Still Sitting Between Us.