
"Hoarders" is an often painful look inside a disease that can bury its sufferer -- literally at times -- in its symptoms. Each hourlong episode profiles two people on the verge of a personal crisis, all caused by the fact that they are unable to part with even the tiniest possessions, and the cumulative effect becomes a mountain of junk and garbage overtaking their home or apartment. If they don't respond to professional help, the consequences sometimes involve eviction, kids being taken away, or even jail time.
A widow hoarder needs help from her daughters; an unhealthy environment for a couple and their kids.
A man sleeps in his car rather than his hoard-filled home; a hoard contains stolen items.
A hoarder may lose his grandchildren if he doesn't clean up; a hoard forces an elderly couple out.
The slovenly state of a man's home may have contributed to his girlfriend's death; a woman's hoard spirals out of control in the decade following her husband's death.