
"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.

Catching up on the progress of people featured in previous episodes.

A hoarder may lose his grandchildren if he doesn't clean up; a hoard forces an elderly couple out.

An eyesore among expensive homes; hoarding parents create their own teen hoarder.

A woman racks up $50,000 in credit-card debt as she fills her home with mounds of clothing; a woman's collection of cardboard boxes forces her out of her own house.