Having been through this, I think the only way to tackle it early is to just resign yourself to the inevitable. You can’t stop this, you can only save money to pay for the inevitable cleanout. You can get therapy for yourself so that you are calmer and stronger when they die and you finally have to deal with all of…

The people who get featured on Hoarders are just the worst extremes. But the fact that they are socially isolated is not actually the cause of the issue, it is just a factor that enables their illness to get worse. In fact, many people who are low-level hoarders (stage 1 or 2 - i.e. they have too much stuff and it…

It’s a mental illness and can run in families. Folks think it has to do with having grown up in the Great Depression or something, but it really just has to do with how your brain is wired. My mother was a Stage 3 hoarder, and I now consider myself a hoarder just like some children of alcoholics know that they have…

My mother was always a hoarder, but it got out of control after my dad died. Eventually, she got sick from ALS and was dying. I was trying not to think about the 2 sheds, the mid-renovation farmhouse, and the trailer all filled with junk I would have to deal with. There was a lightning strike 2 weeks before she…

I will never get over feeling guilty that I left for college and my sister had four more years of living in my mom’s hoard before she could escape. It was awful. Do your best to give her some happy memories so she has at least a few good things to look back on when she thinks about her teen years - get her to camp,…

Two things to tell you:

Yup that was a nail in the coffin for me. Thanks to Internet, I now have more plus size options. Therefore, if a brand snubs me by producing their more fashionable stuff only in small sizes - well, I no longer need to shop there at all.

Yup, I immediately assumed domestic violence as well.

I see that they don’t make clothing over a size 12. I have been a fan of the Palomar hotel chain, partly for their green practices and support of local artists - but also because they do such a cool job of paying attention to the details. The fact that they’d offer a cool service like this, but then only make it…

Yeah my sister’s 7 year old Prius also has something similar to that between the drivers and passengers seat.

Me too!

THIS. I think this is what a lot of folks on this thread aren’t getting - this was obviously about more than the one thread on the work chat.

At least in my case, the men who have done this for me have earned my loyalty. There is one guy who drives me nuts when we work on projects together, but I am able to be more forgiving of his shortcomings because he occasionally amplifies me in meetings, and it means a lot to me.

That’s true... but you may be able to find some male allies if you talk to friendly guys behind the scenes. I have two male coworkers. One is quite pompous, and regularly scornful of my contributions in front of our entire organization. The second guy bristles at the word feminism - but he does like me personally, and…

Many many stars for you

When I was a teenager, I was looking at photos and complaining about how ugly I was, and my dad heard me. He often told my mom and sister and I we were beautiful, which I usually just brushed off with “you’re my dad, you have to say that!”

My sister recently uncovered a ton of childhood photos and videos that we hadn’t seen since we moved after high school. It was fascinating to realize that nowadays I feel the most beautiful, powerful, and comfortable in the same type of outfits that I loved as a kid (jeans and a soft cotton button up that fits well,…

Yes, until I got too big for their size 18, NYC pants were the BEST option for my long legs. Loved how I felt both sexy and professional in them.

I was so sad when the Tall Girl stores closed down! I used to stock up every time I visited someone in a city where one was located. I now get the Long Tall Sally catalogs from Canada but I just want to be able to try stuff on before I buy it!

Yes, they freak me out too. But I have to confess - as the DC-based daughter of a bearded sociology professor, I spent my bad boy phase with them. Had zero interest in scruffy motorcycle boys or guitar players, I was all about the shame and guilt of romancing Young Republican interns with crewcuts and khakis. Didn’t…