Hoarding

Monday night is dysfunction night on A&E. Merrie and I watch regularly. The show Intervention has become so popular that most everyone who is selected for the show already knows the interventionists from watching them on TV.

There may be people who dismiss it as simply voyeuristic and intrusive. The intrusion part is true to a point (although participants sign up for it). But Intervention is different from most reality TV in that it documents so clearly and persuasively two central aspects of addiction: first, that it is a systemic (family and friends), not an individual problem; second, that it is VERY difficult and painful to deal with. Most of the addicts on the show relapse.

Hoarders is also on Monday night. The show displays this statistic each time it airs: that 3 million Americans are hoarders--they have a compulsive need to acquire and keep things. The show makes it clear that it really is a sickness--in every case, it points to some kind of underlying problem.

I really like Hoarders. I'm planning to get the first two seasons on DVD. Also, there's a Hoarders bobble-head that I'm buying. Their website offers eight different books about hoarding. I've ordered all of them. There's also a model 1-800-GOT-JUNK truck on its way. And this morning I saw a pair of latex gloves autographed by one of the show's psychologists on ebay. I hope no one outbids me.