Hoarding: Buried Alive

Hoarding: Buried Alive
Genre	Documentary
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	10
No. of episodes	75
Production
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	45–48 minutes
Production company(s)	Discovery Studios
Release
Original network	TLC
Picture format	NTSC (480i) HDTV (1080i)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	March 14, 2010 – December 4, 2013
External links
Website

Hoarding: Buried Alive is an American documentary television series that premiered on TLC on March 14, 2010. The show follows hoarders through their life experiences and helps them learn to manage their illness.

Overview

Hoarding: Buried Alive takes the viewer into the personal lives of hoarders, focusing on how the mental illness has affected the individual and the family members. Each episode usually looks at two different cases and examines the history of the victim and takes time to interview family members.^[1] The show includes an extensive look at the items each person collects.^[2] Each hoarder receives treatment provided by both a therapist and a professional organizer.^[1] These professionals help them through the process of ridding their house of the hoard. By the end of the episodes, the hoarders typically have shown signs of improvement that make the viewer hopeful for their continuing success.

Episodes

Season 1

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Welcome to My Nightmare"	March 14, 2010
Extreme hoarders Chris, of Fairfax County, Virginia, and Laurie, of Franklinton, Louisiana, are spiraling out of control. Their possessions are destroying their relationships and transforming their homes into virtual prisons. Change won't be easy, but it's their only hope of reclaiming their lives.
2	"Beyond Embarrassment"	March 21, 2010
A 51-year-old Canadian man plans to abandon his hoard only to move back with his mother, a fellow hoarder. A woman's hoard is so severe that she runs the risk of having her house condemned.
3	"Paralyzed by Clutter"	March 28, 2010
Extreme Omaha, Nebraska hoarder Mary Thompson is in denial while Anne Thomas, of New York City fears she's passing down her compulsion to son Brendan. For decades they've had trouble discarding their belongings but will they finally gain clarity and get the help they so desperately need?
4	"Life on Fire"	April 4, 2010
Wanda, of Radford, Virginia, and Ray, of Menlo Park, California are extreme hoarders destined to lose their homes and live in isolation if they don't stop surrounding themselves with stuff. Making the change will be emotional and filled with anguish but they know that time is running out.
5	"Family Secrets"	April 11, 2010
Two women who struggle with compulsive hoarding must get a handle on the piles of possessions that plague them. They have no choice but to ask for help - or they risk losing everything that matters to them and their families.
6	"Filling the Void"	April 18, 2010
In Portland, Oregon, Charlotte and Shelley's hoarding is both a comfort and a curse. If these two women can't find the strength to change, they risk being condemned to a lonely life where possessions replace people.
7	"No One Would Choose This"	April 25, 2010
Two women must get their compulsive hoarding under control or face eviction and further alienation from their families. One lives amid personal treasures, the other amid a mountain of trash.
8	"Everything Is at Stake"	May 2, 2010
For compulsive hoarders Cheryl, of Beverly Hills, California, and Michelle, of Southern Virginia their possessions are crowding out the people they love most. If they don't change their behavior soon, they may find themselves living alone, buried by their belongings.
9	"A Million Excuses"	May 9, 2010
A family of four from Big Sur, California is on the brink of collapse under the weight of a mother and father's incessant hoarding. And in Rogers, Arkansas, Mike Pyron is in denial that his addiction to auctions and garage sales has crossed the line into a full-blown compulsion.

Season 2

Episodes of season 2 aired in two parts, from August 8, 2010 to October 3, 2010, and from March 2, 2011 to April 20, 2011.^[3][4]

No.	Title	Original air date
10	"Homeless Man With a House"	August 8, 2010
Bennie, of San Francisco, and Ronda, of Austin, Texas, both have houses full of stuff and lives filled with emptiness. Decades of compulsive hoarding has driven loved ones away. If they don't get help soon, their hopes for happiness may remain buried amid their possessions.
11	"Robbing the Kids..."	August 15, 2010
When Child Protection Services removes Karen's children from her home, she is given just 48 hours to clean up or risks losing custody of her kids permanently.
12	"Prison of Garbage"	August 22, 2010
Deborah and Mary both started hoarding in the wake of a personal tragedy. Ever since Deborah killed her drug-addicted boyfriend in self-defense, she and her son have lived amid growing piles of trash and unused possessions in their rural West Virginia farmhouse. And Mary bought her Yulee, Florida home when it was brand new. But that was five years ago, and now, the house is so packed and filthy that it has become infested with Stinkbugs and is now home to a new hoarder; her 7-year-old daughter.
13	"Everything's Junk"	August 29, 2010
For one Ohio woman, the trigger was the trauma she suffered on 9/11. For one Los Angeles man, it was the lasting effects of a brain hemorrhage. Compulsive hoarding has pushed them to a critical point in their lives. Now they must clean up, or risk losing it all.
14	"Battle with Chaos"	September 5, 2010
Debbie, of Baltimore, Maryland knows that OCD drives her hoarding. And in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois Jeff doesn't believe he's a hoarder at all, but his kids think otherwise, due to his packed beachfront home.
15	"How Do I Get Out of This"	September 12, 2010
In Dolan Springs, Arizona, Linda's hoarding escalated as her marriage began deteriorating several years ago. Now, her entire family is on the brink of collapse. Norski, of Fortuna, California has overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol but kicking the hoarding habit may prove even harder.
16	"The Scariest Place on Earth"	September 19, 2010
If compulsive hoarder Michael can't clean his Connecticut home in six weeks, he will go to jail. Meanwhile a motivational speaker in Boston manages everyone's lives - except her own.
17	"The Mess I've Created"	September 26, 2010
In Columbus, Ohio Joyce's compulsive collecting almost cost her husband his life, while Norine's hoarding forced her teenage daughter out of the house and now threatens to destroy what's left of their relationship.
18	"This is Where You Sleep??"	October 3, 2010
Outside Seattle, Washington, Debbie turned to hoarding after a shocking confession ended her marriage. Meanwhile, with disease and illness plaguing her family, Julie fills her Winona, Minnesota home to ease the pain.
19	"Nowhere Near Normal"	March 2, 2011
Extreme Hoarder and former Chicago flight attendant Jahn struggles to clear her belongings from not one, but two houses in Willow Springs, Illinois before both are condemned.
20	"I Want to Cuss"	March 9, 2011
A Mays Landing, New Jersey woman's out of control obsession with bikinis, sweaters and dresses threatens to destroy her relationship with her only daughter. A Boca Raton, Florida man has filled his home with treasures, and must clear his hoard in order to have a relationship with his grandchildren.
21	"Oh My Gosh"	March 13, 2011
Conditions inside Tammy's Racine, Wisconsin home have become so bad, that she's forced to eat her meals in the car and her sick father is unable to return home from the hospital. Meanwhile in Lancaster, Texas, Suzanna's OCD mixed with her obsessive need to hoard, she says stems from her cruel string of ex-husbands and her former drug problems. Now, she must clean her packed home, in exchange for a place where her grandchildren can see her.
22	"Better Get a Dumpster"	March 16, 2011
Sharon must clear her Louisa, Virginia home, of a hoard, largely obtained by theft. On a rural horse ranch in Willimantic, Connecticut, Len must choose between his hoard and his daughter.
23	"Overwhelming Pile of Junk"	March 23, 2011
After decades of hoarding, Debbie has not only lost the comforts of her Keokuk, Iowa home but the company of her four children as well. Chip's compulsive hoarding has forced his family of six to squeeze into 1600 square feet of living space.
24	"My Biggest Embarrassment"	March 30, 2011
While Patti's extreme hoarding has made it virtually impossible for her daughter to live with her in her Zzyzx, California home, Jonathan's obsession has kept his three-year-old son from even coming in the door of his ramshackle 1778 colonial home in Boston.
25	"It's Out of Control"	April 6, 2011
Decades of extreme hoarding have put Kay's marriage in serious jeopardy while Toni's compulsive shopping has made her Stockton, California own home a danger zone for her two-year-old granddaughter.
26	"Like a Dog in a Cage"	April 13, 2011
A Gaston, Oregon mother desperately tries to protect her children from their father, Nathan's, hoard. While a Dallas, Texas artist chooses frogs, penguins and banana peels over her live-in boyfriend, Kevin.
27	"It's A Freaking War Zone"	April 20, 2011
The tumbling piles of Maggie's Carpentersville, Illinois home are putting her own son's life at risk while Bob's all consuming passion for swimming pool parts has not only filled his Yuma, Arizona home, but is now pushing his family to the brink.

Season 3

No.	Title	Original air date
28	"Surviving On Trash"	July 10, 2011
In Merritt Island, Florida, Jerri, a wild and eccentric woman, was once known as the local neat-freak. But her eye for treasures has gotten the best of her over the years, forcing her to abandon her once-beautiful home after filling it to the brim. Now, her pregnant daughter Traci wants to clear the trash and move into her childhood home. But it is on the verge of being condemned, due to a toxic swimming pool, that's gone several years uncleaned.
29	"There Are Mice Everywhere"	July 17, 2011
Compulsive hoarder Kathleen of Beaux Arts Village, Washington discovers a hoard of mice living in her kitchen numbering in the thousands. And for extreme hoarder Jaime's future son-in-law, spending the night in a hoarded Portsmouth, New Hampshire home might very well end a marriage before it even begins.
30	"Not A Safe Place"	July 24, 2011
Extreme Hoarder Renee almost died when emergency workers responding to a 911 call in Encino, California were unable to get through her front door. With her home now declared unlivable by the authorities, Renee knows she needs to make a change.
31	"A Horrible Sight"	July 31, 2011
Rick desperately tries to salvage his cluttered Whitehorse home that was nearly destroyed in a house fire. Just five years ago, Linda was homeless, and slept under a filthy San Ysidro, California overpass. If she can't get her house up to code in 60 days, they'll take it away and she'll be back on the streets.
32	"I Was Gonna Gag"	August 14, 2011
Floyd grew up in a rural area, with an abusive father and a mother who looked the other way. His hoarding was triggered when his father had his childhood home and cattle ranch torn down, despite Floyd wanting to move back. The unsafe conditions in and around the Lava Hot Springs, Idaho trailer of the extreme hoarder have been brought to the attention of Child Protection Services. Now he must clear his hoard or risk losing his own three-year-old son, Charlie.
33	"Is That A Goat?"	August 21, 2011
Retired US Marine, Donny, has been to jail twice because of the massive hoard in his waterfront Fishing Creek, Maryland home. With the county at his door, the clutter has put his freedom in jeopardy yet again. And while Joyce sees comfort in her doll collection, everyone else sees a creepy obsession that has overtaken her Stockton, California condo.
34	"Stop Touching My Stuff!"	August 28, 2011
It takes most hoarders a years to fill a home with stuff. For 16-year-old, Haley, it can take less than a week to fill a bedroom in her Des Plaines, Illinois home. Her parents can only hope that a visit with an extreme hoarder who's lost it all will finally scare their daughter straight.
35	"Overtaken By Puppets"	September 11, 2011
Once a professional ventriloquist, Donna's career has since turned into an obsession with hundreds of puppets in her Cutchogue, New York home and her life. For compulsive hoarder Harold, being a good father is difficult when your daughter isn't even allowed inside your Salt Lake City home.
36	"I Can't Breathe"	September 18, 2011
Larina is a single mother of 4 living in Churubusco, Indiana. Everything in her life was going well, until her abusive ex-boyfriend raped her and slit her throat in her own front yard. She survived, scarred by the brutal attack, and turned to hoarding. But when confronted with the challenge to let go of her clutter, Larina's compulsion threatens to win the battle.

Season 4

No.	Title	Original air date
37	"Tiny Monsters"	January 1, 2012
Sherry's hoard has forced her husband out of the Yanceyville, North Carolina home they both loved. Now, authorities are threatening to take away her children and condemn her home. With only weeks to clean it up, Sherry could lose everything she loves.
38	"My House Can Kill Me"	January 8, 2012
Hsi Ming and Miranda are both mothers and extreme hoarders. Miranda's obsession has left her twin toddlers with no room to play amongst the hoard. Hsi-Ming emigrated to the U.S. from China when she was a child, leaving everything she knew and loved behind. Now, her daughter is concerned for her mother's health and safety after seeing the unsafe conditions in her Wynnburg, Tennessee home.
39	"Owned by the Roaches"	January 15, 2012
Celia, a Wauchula, Florida addiction psychologist, helps others daily, but can't solve her own hoarding problem. Now she's losing the battle against her stuff and the millions of roaches infesting her home.
40	"I'm Dumbfounded"	January 22, 2012
After years of hoarding, Vickie and Jeff's marriage is at its breaking point. Beyond the stress of the clutter in their Idaho Springs, Colorado home, as well as on their relationship, Vickie reveals the secrets she's been keeping from him. Will there be any chance left of saving their marriage?
41	"It's Just Sex"	January 29, 2012
Janet and Herv have kept their hoarding a secret from everyone. But as they confront the clutter, shocking secrets concerning their relationship and sex lives are coming to light. Now, they are in a fight to save their Richmond, Virginia home - and their marriage.
42	"Worst I've Ever Seen"	February 12, 2012
The city of South Bend, Indiana is threatening to demolish Caryn's home and if the condition doesn't change, the consequences could be devastating. Theresa is putting her stuff before her children in their time of greatest need and could end up losing everything, including her Helen, Georgia home.
43	"A Bomb Went Off"	February 19, 2012
Phyllis' neighbors are complaining about the trash bags piling up outside of her Hamilton, Ohio home, while the inside of her home is so packed that she can barely move around. Faye, who suffers from COPD, realizes her hoard is killing her. She bought her house in Cypress, Texas just 10 years ago, but it is now home to piles of junk, rats - both dead and alive - spoiled food, and an alge-covered pool.
44	"Unbelievable"	March 4, 2012
Brad isn't sure why he hoards but he is certain that piles of clothing, expired foods, and other items have taken over his mobile home in Collinsville, Illinois. Meanwhile, Mary has been evicted and has just weeks to clean out decades of stuff or have her Towson, Maryland rowhouse condemned.
45	"Are You Serious?"	March 11, 2012
Hoarding has not only destroyed Carol's relationship with her daughter, but her Warren, Michigan home as well. Now, she has one final chance to clean up, or say goodbye to her forever. Also, Amy's years of collecting have turned into a massive hoard. With her Opp, Alabama home nearly unlivable, she seeks help.
46	"Where Are They Now?"	March 11, 2012

Season 5

No.	Title	Original air date
47	"This Is Garbage Land"	July 8, 2012
An Elvis impersonator lives among piles piles of novelty items in his late mother's Hackensack, New Jersey home.
48	"As Bad As It Gets"	July 15, 2012
After over twenty years in the same Ohio apartment, compulsive hoarder Randy is being forced to leave by order of his landlord. With only days to accomplish the task, Randy must somehow clear out the eight-foot-high mountains of stuff.
49	"Sleeping in a Dumpster"	July 22, 2012
Laura's collecting has spiraled into a compulsion that has left her Dutchess County, New York home in shambles and the relationships with her two sons on the brink of collapse. When a potentially devastating house fire ignites during her clean-up effort, it puts everyone's safety in jeopardy.
50	"This is Unreal"	July 29, 2012
Milton has always loved to shop. But after losing his mother, it became a compulsion that soon took over his life and his Belle Glade, Florida home. Louise has been diagnosed with cancer and the unhealthy living conditions of her Klamath Falls, Oregon home are only making the reality of the prognosis worse.
51	"Just Tear It Down"	August 5, 2012
Like most hoarders, Darlene and Doug's Fulton, Texas home is packed. But the hoard is just the beginning of their problems. A collapsing roof, mold, and an overflowing septic tank has caught the attention of city code enforcement, making eviction a real possibility.
52	"Twenty of Everything"	August 12, 2012
After 30 years of hoarding, Gary's house is so full that he is forced to sleep outside on a makeshift bed. With the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado now threatening eviction, Gary must face the harsh reality: clean up or watch his home be condemned.
53	"Hoo, This Reeks!"	August 19, 2012
Kathy grew up with a drunken and abusive father. Now, her extreme hoarding forced her 12-year-old son to move out of their Eau Claire, Wisconsin home. Five years later, their relationship is at a crossroad. Now Kathy must make a drastic change or risk losing her son forever.
54	"A Humongous Secret"	August 26, 2012
When Dennis, of North Carolina quit drinking, a new compulsion took over: hoarding. Now, severe debt and clutter have him moments away from losing it all. Monte has accumulated a massive, couture-clothing hoard in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and destroyed a relationship with her son in the process.
55	"It's My Junk"	September 2, 2012
When Eileen, of De Tour Village, Michigan admits a dark secret to her family, the situation quickly escalates beyond hoarding to a matter of life and death. Compulsive hoarder Dale has packed not one, but five inner-city Detroit houses full of clutter.

Season 6

No.	Title	Original air date
56	"You're Not Taking My Kids"	February 13, 2013
Karen, a single mom, has already had her children taken away for hoarding. Now, authorities say that if she doesn't clean up the mess, she'll never see her kids again. Plus she risks losing her 5 acres of wooded land in Cape May County, New Jersey, as well as the mobile home in which she grew up.
57	"Holding Mom Hostage"	February 20, 2013
When hot-tempered David moved back in with his 93-year-old mother, he quickly filled her Cohasset, Massachusetts home with clutter. Now, the dangerous living conditions, and David's short fuse, have his elderly mom cornered.
58	"This House Killed Her"	February 27, 2013
After their mother's death, siblings Aimee, Cheryl and Jimmy are left to deal with a Bradenton, Florida home filled with clutter. In a desperate search for answers and vital documents, they bring in the aid of a medium to help solve the mystery.
59	"She Wants It, She Takes It"	March 6, 2013
Rhonda's Franklin, Tennessee home is filled with items she's found in the dumpster, it is so full in fact, that she has been forced to live in a camper parked in the backyard. Now, with neighbors threatening lawsuits and worse, Rhonda must clean up or risk losing everything.
60	"What a Pig"	March 13, 2013
Compulsive hoarder Valerie risks eviction from her Winchester, Massachusetts home when her next-door neighbor reports her to the health department. Meanwhile, Maryanne owns a duplex in Keweenaw County, Michigan. Both units so filled with clutter that she has been reduced to a 3 sq. ft space in her living room.
61	"They're Crawling"	March 20, 2013
In Houston, Texas, Kay denies that she is a hoarder, but a home filled with clutter and deadly vermin tells another story. Now, the city is just days away from condemning Kay's home. But the biggest challenge could be convincing her that she has a problem.
62	"One Is Good, Two Is Better"	March 27, 2013
As a top model on the Hollywood scene, Louise once ran with Tinseltown's elite. But behind her colorful outfits and personality, she still keeps a dark secret: Louise is a compulsive hoarder. Now, Louise and her lavish hoard - could end up on the street.
63	"She's Going to Jail"	April 3, 2013
Joanne's hoarding is so extreme that the city of Cincinnati, Ohio has already sent her to jail four times. Also, Home buyers Tad and Amber purchased a family home in Orange County, California sight unseen. Not until now do they realize that the house comes along with massive hoard.
64	"I'm a Rockstar, Baby!"	April 10, 2013
As the lead singer of one of Canada's most famous rock bands, Kelly Jay has lived quite a life and he has collected a massive hoard to prove it. Now, with his family ready to call it quits, Kelly must choose between his clutter and the people he loves.
66	"Losing Half Myself"	April 17, 2013
In Percy, Illinois, Phyllis and Patty aren't just identical twins, they're identical twin hoarders. They've transformed every home in which they've ever lived into a complete disaster area. Now, after losing one house can they save their current home from being condemned?
67	"Leading a Double Life"	April 24, 2013
What's it like to live downstairs from a hoarder? In Chicago, Illinois, Lalie and her children suffer the effects of mold, mice and flea infestations because their upstairs neighbor and landlord, Denise, has secretly acquired one of the show's most massive hoards to date.
68	"Somewhere in My Pile"	May 1, 2013
Beverly's clutter has filled every last square inch of her home in Glendive, Montana. Upstairs, her three beloved dogs have made the space absolutely unlivable. With the threat of the city condemning her home, Beverly must clear the hoard or risk losing everything.
70	"Waste Not, Want, Not"	May 15, 2013
In Trenton, New Jersey Terry and Bill seem to be the perfect couple, but their hoarding has put their relationship in jeopardy. The tragic murder of her daughter drove Nancy to hoarding. Now, if she can't clear her sprawling Brighton, Michigan home, she may just lose her husband as well.

Season 7

No.	Title	Original air date
71	"The Last Clear Spot"	October 30, 2013
The giant, toppling piles of clutter are more dangerous to Jessica, a little person, who in tandem with her mother Dale, has filled her entire Villa Park, Illinois home with stuff.
72	"Full of Rats"	November 6, 2013
Property investors in Tacoma, Washington get more than they bargained for when the house they purchased is occupied by hoarder Michelle and a rat infestation so bad, it has compromised the building's foundation.
73	"You're Gonna Die in Here"	November 13, 2013
A former high school principal in Thunder Bay, Canada was threatened as a target of a school shooting and developed PTSD as a result, although the shooting never actually happened. He now seeks help for his hoarding.
74	"My Teeth Are Lost in the Pile"	November 27, 2013
Lynn is very hard to understand- that is, because she has no teeth. Plagued with dental problems since her early twenties, Lynn used to wear a pair of dentures, but has since lost them among the mounds of clutter in her Butler, Pennsylvania home. Now, her hoarding has not only affected her health, but also the relationship with her boyfriend, Kyle, and prevents the couple's newborn granddaughter from staying over at their house.
75	"It's A Horror Story"	December 4, 2013
When a woman begins to fill her boyfriend's York Springs, Pennsylvania home, he does some digging, and finds that she owns another home in the same county, packed to the brim with garbage.

Analysis

Hoarding: Buried Alive is an example of a reality TV rehabilitation program, a category of show that has been extremely popular since 2000.^[5] However, the ability of these shows to effectively treat people is often questioned. Some focus on the fact that these shows do get people into some rehabilitation program. It is obviously better than them continuing their addictive behaviors and receiving no professional guidance. However, the presence of the cameras can influence the way the patients act. They may exaggerate certain emotions or fail to share essential information for fear of it coming back to haunt them once the show is aired. These additions and omissions could greatly impair their ability to recover and move forward in the process.^[6]

In addition to the information regarding the disease being provided in the show, many of these programs do provide some services to help people get in contact with organizations that can provide treatment or more information on the disease. This can help viewers get a better picture of the disorders depicted and aids towards combating the stigma that surrounds mental illness.^[5]

Hoarding paints a picture of compulsive hoarders that makes viewers sympathize with them. It helps people understand that it is an illness. When these individuals enter a rehab program the quality of their lives and the lives of their families can improve drastically. It also provides a view of the disease that is not totally bent on feeding the human appetite for horror. Instead, it focuses more on giving an accurate look at the illness. It picks cases that are not overly extreme or graphic and doesn’t dwell completely on the disturbing things that the patient has collected. It focuses on conveying the ugly truth about the illness, focusing on the way it affects both the afflicted individual and their family.^[2]

Hantavirus exposure

In September 2012, a woman assisting with cleanup was hospitalized after contracting a serious illness during filming for the show in Houston, Texas. Initial tests indicated the woman had contracted hantavirus. The home was quarantined, several others involved in the cleanup were tested for the disease, and books from the house originally donated to the local library were isolated and not distributed.^[7][8] Further testing determined she had hantavirus and passed it on to more than 200 people in the Houston area.

See also

• Hoarders

References

1. "Hoarding: Buried Alive". Common Sense Media. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
2. "Hoarders vs. Hoarding: Buried Alive". UGO. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
3. "Hoarding: Buried Alive Episodes on TLC". TV Guide. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
4. "Hoarding: Buried Alive Season 2 episodes on Amazon.com". Amazon.com. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
5. Kmiotek, Celeste. "Reality Television Tackles Mental Illness". The Ram. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
6. "No title". Mercury News. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
7. "Hantavirus fears force quarantine of Houston home". Fox News. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
8. "Hantavirus suspicions force quarantine of Woodlands home". KRIV FOX 26. Retrieved September 9, 2012.

External links

• Official website
• Hoarding: Buried Alive at the Internet Movie Database
• Hoarding: Buried Alive at TV.com