Our discussion of "Coming Clean".

I think a few of us were surprised by how hopeful this book was. This is a family who lived like few families do...showering at the gym, eating out every night...all because their home is unfit to live in. Hoarding is a buzzword right now; just witness the shows on TV dealing with hoarders and their families. Confrontations are the norm (they make for good television). But confrontations are the exception here. The author gets angry, frustrated and dismayed, but she never loses sight of the fact that her parents are super supportive, and want the best for her. They just can't keep the house clean! This link is from Psychology Today and discusses the psychological aspects of hoarding (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hope-relationships/201409/the-psychology-behind-hoarding).

But we know the author is certainly not going to let herself fall into the same hole her father, and then her mother fell into. She does all she can to portray a "normal" image as she goes to school, works, finds love and work. Very few people know her secret. But as her parents need more and more help dealing with their home (and lives) she has to let people in. No one condemns her, and no one turns away from her. The things and papers that seem to matter most to her parents have not spilled onto her. She makes it out alive, and is better for it at the other end.