To the Editor:

The room was smoky and crowded, too many bodies in too small of a space. The heat in the room didn’t help, nor the fact that there was nothing cold to drink, just a huge urn filled with strong black coffee. Everyone spoke and when I looked up, I saw all eyes on me. The crowd opened and cleared a path as I pushed my way to the front of the room. I cleared my throat and began to speak. The words poured out in a flood. I felt free as I finally came to grips with my addiction.

I started slowly. “Hello, my name is Helen and I’m a toilet paper hoarder. It began in March when the pandemic hit.

December 3, 2020