TVScope World of Compulsive HoardersChannel 4, 11.05pm, Wed, April 2nd
The tendency to collect is part of human nature. While some of us have a hobby that involves collecting antiques or stamps, others hold onto items as reminders of happier days. But what happens if the compulsion to hoard becomes so overwhelming that it prevents a person from eating, sleeping or even washing?
World of Compulsive Hoarders gives an insight into lives blighted by this form of obsessive-
compulsive disorder. Far from being unusual it is estimated that one in 200 of us is a hoarder. The condition often results in the sufferer leading isolated, claustrophobic lives, only drawing attention to themselves when their compulsion impinges on family members or neighbours.
William (48) is the first man in Britain to receive an Asbo for hoarding. With no family or friends, he leaves home only after dark to roam the streets and examine local recycle bins in his search for items of interest. Newspapers and general rubbish discarded by their original owners became priceless treasure in the eyes of William.
But even the fact that he feeds himself from restaurant bins paled into insignificance when his habit of storing his own waste in plastic bottles and empty paint tins was revealed.
Meanwhile, over in LA, a 78-year-old sufferer was threatened with a jail sentence for repeatedly breaking orders not to accumulate rubbish. For Lloyd, his compulsion was so severe that for the previous 25 years he had to sleep outdoors due to his hoarding.
Although the programme gave an insight into the chaotic and isolated lives of compulsive hoarders, it did not consider the management of the condition. Such an inclusion would have gone some way to balance the programme's voyeuristic aspects.