With two hit TV shows dedicated to chronicling its disastrous impact on human lives, hoarding has become one of the most high-profile psychological conditions in the public eye today. Destroying furniture, homes, and even lives, the deceptively simple need to collect junk creates traumatic problems that quickly pile high. Scientists are not yet sure what causes this affliction, but they do know that it is disturbingly common – affecting up to 5% of the population, it’s twice as common as obsessive-compulsive disorder and four times more common than bi-polar. Perhaps the most important fact of all, however, is that these are not just disgusting people with no regard for cleanliness; they suffer from a psychological illness, and desperately need help.
