
"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 man who suffered brain trauma in an accident collects items that he thinks may trigger his memories; a woman hoards items that belonged to three late family members.
Family members worry about the well-being of a painter whose home is filled with thousands of nude portraits; an out-of-control hoarder moves his food and television into the bathroom.
A woman turns to hoarding, following her husband's accidental death; a compulsive purchaser sometimes buys back his own auction items.
A woman uses a hefty legal settlement to fund her hoarding obsession; life stinks for a woman who refuses to bathe or take out the trash.