Hoarding: Buried Alive

Extreme hoarders' lives spiral out of control as their possessions jeopardize their chances for a happy family life.

A man, 55, plans to abandon his hoard and move in with his mother, who is also a hoarder; a woman risks having her house condemned due to her hoarding.

An extreme hoarder is in denial; a woman who has trouble discarding belongings fears that she's passing down her compulsion to her son.

Extreme hoarders face losing their homes and living in isolation.

Two women seek help for their compulsive hoarding problems.

Hoarding is both a comfort and a curse for two lonely women trying to find the strength to change.

Two women must get their compulsive hoarding under control or face eviction from their homes and alienation from their families.

Two women's compulsive hoarding is crowding out their loved ones.

Hoarding by parents threatens to rip a family apart unless they can stop their excessive collecting. A man must learn to control his addiction to buying items at auctions and garage sales.

Compulsive hoarding is a mental illness that causes people to accumulate an excessive amount of clutter within their homes. Delve into the lives of two women whose houses and families are being overrun by their things. Can they dig out of the mess? -- Pilot episode (aired in 2009, prior to beginning of the main series in March 2010). S01E05 "Family Secrets" is a re-edited version of the two narratives featured in the pilot episode.