MovieChat Forums > Hoarding: Buried Alive (2010) Discussion > "You're Not Taking My Kids" episode

"You're Not Taking My Kids" episode

posted 9 years ago by Wednesday06
5 replies | jump to latest

This was the first episode that literally had me in tears. From the kid next door helping his young friend, to the haul-away manager arranging for new beds and electrical help, to Dr. Becky tearing up over the state of the pet dog... Wow, what a great show of compassion on the part of everyone involved.

(I have to add that Dr. Beaton is my favorite psychologist on the show. I can't imagine any of the other regulars handling this case. She has the kindest and most caring demeanor of them all, imo.)

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

Dr Beaton is my favorite, too.

This episode was definitely touching. One thing I wish they had done which, as far as I recall, they didn't, was show the status of the dog at the end. You know, when they're showing the graphics at the end on whether they're using aftercare therapy, have moved back in, etc. But there was nothing about the dog.

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] holchie 9 years ago

That is a very memorable episode. Something I wondered about, and I have seen it on other reality shows when the subject matter is seriously sad, is how the mother kept smiling when talking about the bad things in her life. Is there a name for that behavior? I hope she is doing well and getting the support she needs to give her kids a normal life.

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

Something I wondered about, and I have seen it on other reality shows when the subject matter is seriously sad, is how the mother kept smiling when talking about the bad things in her life. Is there a name for that behavior.

There probably is a name for it, but I don't know it offhand. The smiling was something that really stood out to me, too. She could be describing some awful thing, or hearing some terrible news like the kids are going to be taken away, and yet she had a smile frozen on her face. Very odd.

I'd love to see an update on this family.

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] Wednesday06 9 years ago

I almost think the smiling is some kind of coping mechanism, like nervous laughter. It's like the brain has tricked them into thinking, subconsciously, that if they're smiling, things can't be that bad.

On the other hand, many of us are conditioned - either by parents, teachers, or peers - to smile regardless of how we're feeling, with the idea that putting others at ease is more important than expressing our own feelings.

In either case, masking one's true feelings ALL THE TIME would seem to inevitably lead to mental illness like depression, from which the mother in this episode was obviously suffering.

I'd love an update on this family, too. Her hoarding was clearly caused by clinical depression, which I can say from experience, leaves the sufferer incapable of completing even the most simple and mundane of tasks. If she was able to manage it, I would expect her to be able to maintain the house.

[–] MacRobin92 8 years ago

I hate the episodes with kids. I feel like they need to just put down the camera and call the police. It's not a show anymore. You're documenting abuse and neglect.