A little over a year ago, there was a Cary Tennis letter from a man married to a compulsive hoarder, and it triggered a little spasm of interest in hoarding. I spent several days clicking from website to website, and culled a lot of information from all of them. One thing they do say is that it's an addictive behavior, and extremely difficult to treat if the sufferer doesn't acknowledge a desire to change. I haven't really heard Miss B. talking about change. She knows the way she lives in unhealthy, but she talks about "slanderers" and "busybodies" in such a way that I think that probably she resists any efforts to help her change with a great deal of energy and anger, and perceives any direct confrontations as hostile takeovers.

I suppose it's lucky for me that I was able to see her house for the first time when she wasn't around, and so I can think carefully about ways I can address her that don't sound like judgment/condemnation. I like your suggestion of asking if I can call someone to help her clean up or pack or move, very much. Thank you for weighing in, my love.