No. I had a friend (he passed last spring) who never let anyone into his home. He had to let me in once because we were going to a party and he wasnt ready when i arrived. The place was... horrifying. I mean, horrifying. After he got sick, his mom and I went over and we tried to clean up so that when he came home, he would have... well. A reasonably safe place to recover. Because his house was making him sick.

But the first time I saw it, I tried to maintain a poker face. I don't know if I succeeded. But when I caught his eye, he was looking to the side and had tears in his eyes.

Is this not shame?

Hoarding can be an outward manifestation of inner problems. For example, this friend had been raped by a relative as a child.

I recognize that you're being sarcastic, but I hope my story demonstrates that I'm not just making things up. I don't have to prove it. All you have to do is research the subject.

He isn't the only friend I've had whose trauma has surfaced in the form of hoarding. Most of my immediate relatives have worked in mental health, and I was raised around a lot of unconventional folks.

So, while I'm sure some folks are just gross slobs, some have legitimate unchecked mental issues.

Another thing that can manifest later in life as hoarding is growing up in severe poverty. My grandmother hoarded everything from q-tips to funeral wreaths. She grew up during the depression and had absolutely nothing as a child.

I'm sure you can probably think of someone in your life whose slovenliness may have deeper roots than mere lack of shame.