Hoarders: Mental Illness in High Definition

The word "rubbernecking" is used to describe a slowdown in highway traffic caused by people craning their necks down to look at an accident on the side of the road. There is a long tradition of "rubbernecking" in reality television, where it seems like the less healthy a behavior is, the more likely it is to wind up on television. What does the new generation of television shows focused on "hoarding" behaviors say about us?



It seems like there are at least a half-dozen documentary or reality television shows focused on "hoarding." Really, this is nothing new in our society; any apartment dweller knows of at least one neighbor whose apartment is full of books, magazines, and other junk hauled away once that person eventually dies or moves to a nursing home. However, for whatever reason, in the last five years or so there has been much more attention paid to this behavior. Hoarding may be related to obsessive compulsive disorder (which of course has its own reality shows) but experts in the field state that biochemically it is a world apart. In short, hoarding as it is typically conceived consists of accumulating possessions to the point where entire areas of one's home become off-limits. Thanks to high definition television, you can see every detail of every pile of antiques, medical supplies, or old cereal boxes in these hoarders' homes.



Aside from the vicious circular effect it can have on mental health (hoarding can be both caused by and exacerbate mental health issues), hoarding can also have implications for one's physical health. It is difficult, if not impossible, to clean the home of a hoarder, meaning that bacteria, mold, and other disease-carrying agents can easily build up. Indeed, the programs on hoarding often feature the situation where a hoarder's spouse or other family member has had to leave the home due to health risks caused by hoarding.



It's unclear why these programs focused on "hoarding" have gained such popularity. There's always the possibility that this is just "rubbernecking." Maybe we just like to watch programs on mentally ill people, just as we watch programs counting down the "top" sports injuries or the "top" car chases, because it makes us feel better—or superior, even—that we are not in such a desperate situation. It's possible that curiosity is in play as well. After you watch enough programs about "hoarders," you might wonder, "How many people could there possibly be with this condition?" You might wonder if you know anyone in your own life struggling with this problem. After all, many of the hoarders profiled on these programs manage to hold down jobs and otherwise interact with the world around them in a reasonably healthy way. Or, it's possible that we enjoy watching programs on hoarding because they show an age-old redemption story. Generally, programs on hoarding attempt to help people afflicted with this condition, hiring people to come clean their homes and work with them on whatever mental health issues they may have. Whatever the reason, programs on hoarding are a phenomenon that does not seem to be letting up any time soon.



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