boj&riggs

boj&riggs
Photo ©Megan Goldin

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Hoarding: Buried Alive- "Rigsby"

On the next episode of "Hoarding: Buried Alive" we meet Rigsby, who has an uncontrollable compulsion to accumulate and store excessive amounts of toys in his bed. His brother Bojie called us in for professional help, as it's made every day existence unbearable.

In a response to why he hoards, Rigsby comments "It's not a an object, it's a memory. Each and every toy holds a memory for me. Throwing them out would be a waste". As we walked around his home, we saw the hoarding only continued in every room of his house.
The bedroom:

"Ever since my mother rejected me as a baby, I've felt the need to hold on to things, I think this was the turning point for me, that made me begin to hoard" said Rigsby as we walked through what used to be his living room.

"If I see it, and I want it, I go and spend. I don't think of the consequences after the fact, I go in to buy one toy, and I come out with five."
Bojie's room is the only space in the home, where he can find respite from the accumulation of "stuff"

"I don't know how much longer I can take this Rigsby, it's embarrassing. I can't even have my friends over, because there's no place for us to sit. You need to confront the fact that you have a problem. Lets start with piles, of keep, throw out, and give away". Rigsby agreed, but after the job was over. The only pile that remained, was "keep".

"I can't even bear to talk to you anymore Rigsby. This obsession is out of control"

"I know I have a problem, it's overwhelming, most people would never know it from just looking at me if you met me on the street"
"WE CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE! You NEED to start hearing what I'm telling you, really hear me. Not just listen anymore, hear what I'm saying, and MAKE A CHANGE! There's no room for me to even sleep here anymore! I'm better off sleeping in the car."

"Sometimes, I just feel like a homeless man, with a house."
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