A hoarder whose house is filled with piles of rubbish — including 40-year-old food — has admitted his obsession is destroying both his life and his relationship.
John, who lives in Yucca Valley, California, recently appeared on an episode of The Hoarders of A&E.
The retired maintenance man filled his house with furniture, food, clothes and paperwork, which had started a rat infestation.
The father-of-three, who said he felt “depressed” by the situation, had refused to let anyone into his home, including his girlfriend, for the past 18 years.
John, who lives in Yucca Valley, California, appeared on a recent episode of A&E’s Hoarders and admitted that his obsession is destroying both his life and his relationship
The building’s retired maintenance man filled his house with furniture, food, clothing and paperwork, which had caused a rat infestation
The program started with a tour of John’s house. All the rooms were buried in heaps of rubbish and rubbish, with only a small path restricting access to other parts of the house.
John’s three daughters said his hoarding “got out of hand” after they left the house because “there was no one to clean it.”
And quickly emphasized that the disorder goes far beyond just the real estate; his cars, finances and health are also out of control.
Things only got worse when John’s own mother died twelve years ago and he was forced to take all of her belongings to his own home.
As the hills piled high, John’s way of life became extremely restricted – including being forced to shower outside with the garden hose because he couldn’t access his shower.
The waste, consisting of boxes of expired food from 1977, had also attracted dozens of rodents, which an exterminator said was the “biggest infestation” she had seen in the pest control industry in a decade.
John said, ‘Since just before January I’ve had a rat infestation and they’ve taken over here quite a bit.
“Behind that is a BB pistol with a telescopic sight on it. I wanted to use it against the rats.’
The father-of-three (left), who said the situation made him feel ‘depressed’, had refused to let anyone into his home for the past 18 years – including his long-term girlfriend Janet (right)
The waste, consisting of boxes of expired food from 1977, had also attracted dozens of rodents, which an exterminator said was the “biggest infestation” she had seen in the pest control industry in a decade.
As the hills piled high, John’s way of life became extremely restricted – including being forced to shower outside with the garden hose because he couldn’t access his shower
Speaking about his hoarding, he candidly revealed, “I’m overwhelmed. Looking at it now makes me depressed.’
The accumulating debris had also caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, including a litany of electrical and plumbing problems and masking holes in the walls and roof.
In all, contractors in the episode claimed $60,000 worth of repairs to the California home.
His daughters were unaware of the state of John’s home, as he had refused to let anyone in for the past eighteen years.
This included girlfriend of 15 years Janet.
She told the programme: “I really like John. He is very easy going, he is very patient. There is indeed a fun side to him, but it only seemed to be curtailed in the last six or seven years.
In all, contractors in the episode claimed $60,000 worth of repairs to a California home.
His daughters were unaware of the state of John’s home as he had refused to let anyone in for the past 18 years
‘I’ve never been to John’s house. It’s just the way our relationship works. I live about an hour away so he always came to see me.
“He never let me into his house. Even if I have to go to the bathroom, I have to go to a gas station or something, I could never use the house.’
After eventually asking his daughters for help, the program allowed Janet access to John’s house for the first time – and she was stunned.
She said it was “worst than she imagined,” adding, “I knew it would be bad, but I had no idea it was this bad.”
Compulsive hoarding is defined as “a persistent difficulty throwing or relinquishing possessions because you think you should keep them,” according to the author. Mayo Clinic.
Up to 19 million Americans are believed to have the condition.