
"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.

Jason tries one last time to rescue his mother from the filth he escaped 14 years earlier when he was removed from her home by Child Protective Services.

Time is running out for Judi, whose cluttered home has been condemned; Gail was once a disciplined ballerina, but now her house is full of possessions and critters.

A woman develops post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her mother's hoarding; a woman's excessive shopping leads to the loss of two children.

A woman who lives in a million-dollar neighborhood sifts through trash bins; authorities warn a couple that they must clean their cobweb-infested, filthy home.