Hoarding: Buried Alive

I feared "Hoarding: Buried Alive" would be excessively exploitive but I'm relieved it's only mildly so. Perhaps the exchange is the hoarders agree to be put on the show in exchange for organization and therapy help. I would hope for that to be so. I am only on episode three of the first season and I'm pleased the therapists seem compassionate and reasonable to work with. I doubted this would be at all the case. "Hoarding" has its mix of catharsis and exploitive shock value, but thankfully it leans more towards the former than the latter. I'm impressed by how the family members and other people being interviewed maintain an agreeable sense of love and support rather than outright judgement. Of course the show acknowledges the desperation of these people's situations too and the dire need for them to change. But helpfully the professionals don't just charge in throwing stuff out or encourage that, although some of the therapists and helpers are more qualified than others. Hoarding is a difficult condition to accept or to cause the hoarder to come to trust the professional at all without feeling shamed. Hoarding requires a specific energy to be able to help and as certified as they are not all professionals have those capabilities. But fortunately these professionals at least try. That moment where the hoarder looks in relief at their cleared surroundings and that moment where they can feel the manageability of their situation is a moment I am willing to watch again too. So far pleased, but hesitant to give a better rating because I'm crossing my fingers. A show like this could easily slide into territory I would have misgivings about.

Hoarding: Buried Alive is a documentary series that addresses the severe illness of being an excessive hoarder. Hoarding can become a real issue in today's world. It can be how some people tend to deal with suppressed past issues and leads to nothing good. I've helped hoarders move, and it's a nightmare because they don't feel they have a lot of stuff. Hoarding: Buried Alive helps people overcome their hoarding tendencies. As well as helping individuals clear their houses it also provides the individuals with a therapist to help deal with the underlying issues. This show is an eye-opener. You will be surprised at what some people hoard and how their houses look before and after. I know of a lady who can't even live in her own house it's gotten that bad. She lives in her car and her car is full of stuff. My heart cries out to these people and this show could also reach out to hoarders letting them know they are not alone and that there is help out there. My only wish is this show would spend less time chatting about the hoarders situation and spend more time showing the house being cleaned up. - Asif Zamir

As it stands now, the show spends 45-50 minutes just focusing on the history and stuff leading up to the cleanup. Only 10-15 minutes spent on the actual cleanup and aftermath. Very dull & stupid, I usually put this on when I need something to help me fall asleep.

This show is at the top of "My "Hate this show list" Hoarding, Buried Alive is the same story, just different houses and people. Please, if possible, replace it with more episodes of "ER" shows. Thank you for your attention to this post.

Somehow, they go from extreme hoarding. Over whelming garbage to clean & uncluttered. Hoarders have OCD compulsive behavior. They can't suddenly clean up tons of trash in a few weeks.

From what I kniw, there I'd medication for OCD that might help reset the brain.

These hoarders are often really nasty and I think borderline personality disorder. They focus on saving items worth a few 100, when they are facing eviction & lose of everything. They need everything. Ignore rat crap & collect urine in bottles.

On Hoarders, they use $100K of help for 5 days. HOARDING. They don't always show the clean-up. It takes teams of 20 with shovels to clean up tins of garbage.

Box of cellphones, even if they work, become outdated & inadequate.