EWWWWWWW!

[*Teach*]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,477873,00.html

From Foxnews:
An eccentric loner in Britain hoarded so much trash he had to burrow through it to get around his home — then got lost in the maze of tunnels Friday and died of thirst.

Human mole Gordon Stewart, 74, had filled his rooms up to the ceiling with 10 years' worth of garbage and clutter, making it impossible to walk around.

The compulsive hoarder is believed to have become disorientated inside the walls of rotting trash and unable to find a way out — then collapsed with dehydration.

Neighbors raised the alarm after failing to see him leave his house in Broughton, Bucks, for several days.

When cops arrived, the stench from the garbage was so foul they brought in a police diving team equipped with breathing apparatus.

It is believed they crawled around the tunnel network until they uncovered Stewart's body.

A neighbor revealed: "A police officer said the interior was piled up with huge mounds of rotting rubbish and there was an elaborate network of tunnels to move around."

"They think Stewart may have got lost and died from dehydration."

*I am afraid that someday that might happen with me and the rum bottles...*

[Lady Christina de Pond]

  eeeeeecccckkkk i heard of keeping everything but dog gone it thats taking it to extremes

teach keep a few toss the rest   

[LadyShadow]

That is just a bit far with keeping things.

Teach buy some book shelves and keep them there.  Once they are filled make a decision on what to keep and get rid of.  Dont keep everything please.  I can see it now... Lost among the Rum bottles.

Or you could always keep a map of your tunnels with you

[Muffin]

Yuck!! 

Poor guy.. I've watched a few shows on Hoarders, ( I was married to one as well, milder form of course) I know they honestly can't help it... Still drove me CRAZY!!!!

I'm glad I am a "thrower"...

[Lady Nicolette]

Sounds a lot like "My Brother's Keeper."  Sad and true story of two brothers who'd not only hoarded, but had built booby traps all through the tunnels in their house.  I believe that one of them died when one of the traps collapsed on him?  And that when they were young they fell in love with the same woman?  Story I read so long ago that I can't remember some of the details, but will never forget the tunnels and the traps.

[Lady Nicolette]

Here we go, a link to the book I remember...Edit:  For some reason the link won't work.  Marcia Davenport was the author, if you google it, you can then follow the link to the Wiki article.

Second Edit:  Both of the guys died.  There wasn't just one, but two women.  Double the trouble that I recalled!

[Anna Iram]

I have someone close to me who deals with these issues. Not the ceiling high rotting garbage thing, but the excessive hording. It's fearx10. Hard to be around. Hard to understand how throwing out one of fifty empty soda cartons can cause rage. Last fall I participated in an all out intervention. Probably something that should have been left to a professional. It took alot out of all of us.


Teach...perhaps you should take to wearing something bright so we can see you through the Rum Bottle Mountains if we need to find you. 

[Lady Nicolette]

I knew someone who had a hording thing with his car long ago.  I think it's really a sort of OCD thing, probably that's why all the rage, Anna.  There's so much fear involved that it can turn easily to anger.