Hoarding: Buried Alive, a sneak peek inside mental illness tonight, TLC

By April MacIntyre Apr 18, 2010, 18:35 GMT

Episode 106: Barbara Salzer and Michelle. Before photo of Barbara Salzer\'s home. Courtesy of TLC

Do you know a hoarder?

Perhaps a collector who is a bit too obsessive with their passion?

TLC’s series explores a serious condition that affects an estimated 700,000 to 1.4 million Americans – a condition that left untreated can break up families and destroy lives.

The series premiered on Sunday, March 14, taking us all into the jam-packed homes and emotionally unstable world of extreme hoarders.

Each hour-long episode follows two obsessive hoarders struggling to fight the compulsion to collect and return their lives to normalcy. Accumulating everything from stuffed animals to church pews to porcelain owls, their uncontrollable behavior pushes them to the edge, taking over their world and the lives of their loved ones.  Some face losing their home, some their spouse or children and others their job, but there is one thing each hoarder has in common – the need for intervention.

With the help of expert therapists and organizers, the hoarders will attempt to unlock the key to their compulsion – but the process will not be easy.  For most, decluttering and organizing is an extremely daunting task.  And while some will make tremendous strides, others will continue to struggle in the face of this devastating condition.

“Hoarding: Buried Alive" follows extreme cases of hoarding”, says Nancy Daniels, SVP of production and development for TLC.  “But the deeper appeal is that almost everyone can relate to the habit of collecting stuff and the difficulty of parting with possessions. The series appeals to the hoarder in all of us.” 

On TLC tonight, "Hoarding: Buried Alive" goes inside the homes of extreme hoarders to explore the psychology behind their compulsion to accumulate and store large quantities of nonessential things.

Each episode will tell the stories of two severe hoarders struggling with behavior that has made every day existence unbearable for both them and their loved ones.

With the help of expert therapists and organizers, the hoarders will attempt to unlock the key to their obsessions in the hope of reclaiming their lives.

Shelley's hoarding is pushing her husband and sons to the edge.

If she can't find the strength to change, she risks being condemned to a lonely life where possessions replace people.

Airs Sundays at 10/9c on TLC. http://tlc.com/hoarding