He lives in a 3 bedroom house and has 3 freezers full of food in the garage. He has a refridgerator/freezer full in the kitchen and when his daughter moved out earlier this spring, she left a refridgerator and he has filled it full of stuff. He has a pantry overflowing with outdated canned goods and last winter he bought 2 shelving units and has them stacked to the top with all kinds of food and just bought about 14 cans of tomato juice.
I went to the store with him about 2 weeks ago, and they were having a sale on pomegranite juice, Instead of buying 5 or 6, he bought 7 cases. He says it is very nutritious and he plans to drink it all. I had to go to the grocery store last week and when I asked him if he needed anything,he asked me to bring him 2 boxes of cereal. He has about 10 boxes sitting on top of his pantry full.
I am afraid to eat at his house because I worry about outdated foods and food poisoning.
Why is he doing this? Is it a mental illness?
2006-11-15 19:31:00 · 7 answers · asked by happydawg 6 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Respiratory Diseases
He comes from a upper income family. He didnt go hungry as a child. He never had to do without. They farmed and his dad was a railroader.
2006-11-15 20:00:13 · update #1
He refuses to throw things away too. He has garbage pickup on Wednesdays, but never throws anything away. The garbage man just drives on by. He has a water cooler he bought in the 1980's and it dont work, but he is saving it. I am not sure why. You literally have to climb over things to get thru his bedroom to his bed. He comes to my house a lot, and likes it here because I throw things away and the snacks and food are fresh.
2006-11-15 20:04:44 · update #2
one cause is called obsessive compulsive disorder
it was very common for older people who grew up in the depression to hard food for fear of not being able to get it
but it is definetly not normal for him to do this
seek professional help before it expands to hoarding other things and really becomes a problem
here is an article that describes other causes for hoarding
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200411/tows_past_20041118_b.jhtml
2006-11-16 01:58:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no it's not a mental illness. A Hoarder just means packrat.. some are food rats others store things. There are a few that do both.
You don't have to worry about poisoning from packrats or hoarders they know from experience not to eat bad food. They would never serve outdated food! Most will always check the dates! I know cause I am a hoarder myself! It's only a mental illness if one starts storing stuff that's not paid for.. that be a cleptomainiac! Hoarders are really more careful that some that don't hoard food.
I hoard books and food! My Livingroom looks like a Library! My cupboards are so full food falls out of them when I open the door! I however buy my food wholesale.. for 2 reasons it's fresher from the wholesalers than
the Local Grocery Stores and costs less when one buys case lot at a wholesalers than Grocery Store! Most hoarders do buy in case lots, there's a few that buy by the drum but that's an extreme hoarder that does that! Most Hoarders will know if something outdated is ok
to eat. It's rare to find one that doesn't know!
How to tell: If he gets sick alot then he doesn't know but if He seldom gets sick then it's obvious he know!
2006-11-15 20:00:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Some people have been raised with parents that had to fight just to stay alive during the depression. They hoarded every meager thing they could find and some kids then themselves become hoarders.
They are afraid that if their stuff is taken away, they will never find it again and or that they will feel empty inside. Find out more about his parents.
2006-11-15 19:35:16 · answer #3 · answered by wildmedicsue 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
<>Yes, there is some mental illness here. Your boyfriend may have been abused as a child and denied food, or there may be some other underlying problem that causes him to do this. You should encourage him to talk to a couselor, but do it in a nice way. Expalin to him that you are oncerned for his health with all that expired (and possibly spoiling) food in the house.
2006-11-15 19:34:35 · answer #4 · answered by druid 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think a person needs to find a way to detach themselves from things to find the greatest happiness.
2006-11-16 00:41:40 · answer #5 · answered by Sun 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes i could be but you might check and see his child hood maybe his family didn't have much food and he never wants to be that way again does he hord other stuff paper books and stuff like that watch out you will never change him if you marry him you will just be buried under it
2006-11-15 19:37:04 · answer #6 · answered by dalecollins64 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is his name Joseph Cooper, cause if it's not it should be.
2006-11-15 23:53:15 · answer #7 · answered by juicie813 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋