I was so moved by today's show but found myself exasperated by the resolution. Yes, it was heart-warming seeing their home cleaned, sorted through, and RESOLVED. But I would be dishonest if I didn't acknowledge by anger and jealousy. Last January my father passed away suddenly of a heart attack. I flew across the country and, 4 months shy of my 30th birthday, was confronted with a house nearly twice as terrible as the one Oprah televised. My father had literally killed himself by filling his home, 2-car garage, and business buildings with everything imaginable. He didn't just hoard purses and cards and gift wrap like the family on today's show. He "collected" cars, tires, hubcaps, boxes and boxes of bolts and screws, canned goods piled so high in the kitchen that I could not see the stove or sink. I had no clue what to do. Let me say this more clearly... I HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO DO! I was terrified. I didn't have money to "fix" this is one fell swoop. Plus, I still had to plan my father's funeral and grieve for his loss. And, run his business which was still very much alive! What I resolved to do was take things day by day. Seven months later I realized I was still living out of a suitcase and had abandoned my life for this new life because it was just too BIG for me to get on a plane and leave behind even for a weekend. The guilt was incredible. I felt guilt for thinking of leaving for the weekend and going back to my fiancee. I felt guilt for not having known my father would let his life get this bad or forcing my way into the house and doing something sooner. I felt guilt for continuing the lie he carried... telling his employees I lived in an apartment instead of dad's house because it was "too hard being surrounded by all this things". I even felt guilt as the dumpsters pulled up and I threw things away. 3 full-sized dumpsters later.... I had pulled out carpet, thrown away furniture, removed moldy sinks and stoves, pried up every last hardwood board which had been soaked in cat urine. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that I did not have new GE appliances gifted to me. I did not have Lowe's design a kitchen for us. And I do feel jealous of today's televised family. I do. Over a year later and I am not living in the house... finally. Albeit without floorboards or a kitchen or even a bathroom! But I'm happier and we're doing it... me and my two brothers. I still have many feelings to resolve.... such as how to love and appreciate the father I knew as IDEAL with the one I see now when I walk through his home. Or resolving the changes I took on in my life in order to stay close enough to slowly do the work and earn the money needed for these projects. But, I will somehow... someway.... get through them. And in another year MAYBE I will have sorted through some of that emotional baggage. As to the physical... as I said, I am jealous. It is hard to move on when you are dragged down by someone else's life... by the STUFF of their life. Maybe my jealousy is part of our new modern way of life... where every other day another family is receiving yet another "extreme makeover". I don't presume to dream of such things. I know the realities of my situation make hoping for someone to come rescue me a very large let-down. And I try to be happy with that sense of realism. Somedays when I wake up it's harder than others. Most days I just feel any little contribution is worthwhile even if I'm not living the life I thought I would at my age. I would hope that hoarders on this board would consider my story. Please understand that something unexpected could remove you from this life and others (your children, siblings, or just neighbors) will find themselves standing squarely in the middle of your secret humiliation. DO SOMETHING TODAY BEFORE THAT HAPPENS. TAKE YOUR OWN LITTLE STEPS before others will be forced to do it for you. Most of all... please just acknowledge the problem and stop pretending it isn't as bad as it is. I assure you... months from now, if you begin today, you will look at the situation and see it was worse than you had seen it to be at the time. That you had deadened you eyes to what was truly in front of you.