Have you seen Hoarders on A&E? It’s excellent and amazing. And terrifying and painful. Each hour-long episode makes a visit to the homes of two different people suffering from chronic, compulsive hoarding. Mostly they’ve acquired massive arrays of random household items, although sometimes someone will have what resembles a specialty, meaning they particularly collect little boxes or dolls or cars or, um, rats.

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This is the moment a 20st bodybuilder is turned into a tearful wreck – by a puppy.
Heavily tattooed Marvin Cruz, 47, has suffered a lifelong fear of dogs after a witnessing a pit bull attack left a neighbour needing 1,000 stitches.

But Mr Cruz, who has been unable to visit parks for more than 40 years, finally confronts his fear in ‘My Extreme Animal Phobia’, a new U.S. television show.

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I tell Dr. Robin Zasio, a licensed clinical psychologist and licensed social worker, who works with hoarders on the show, “I’m obsessed with Hoarders. It is my compulsion.”

“Oh, good. That’s a good compulsion to have,” she replies with a laugh.

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Dr. Robin Zasio, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker currently appears on A&E Network’s popular television show Hoarders and has spent years specializing in treating anxiety and related disorders utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention techniques.

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Do you know someone who avoids touching door knobs or repeatedly checks to see if the stove is off? Maybe they adjust desk top objects until they are perfectly aligned. This may not be just fussy behavior. Repetitive acts like these could be a result of OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder.

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It’s not like your living room is an obstacle course of boxes, or that you have a closet full of cats. But even if your home hasn’t reached reality-show level of catastrophe, you could be a “clutterer,” someone who harbors an irrational attachment to her possessions that makes it hard to part with stuff you don’t need. Sound familiar?

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Everyone collects something. But some people collect everything. But what makes you a hoarder? In The Hoarder In You by Dr. Robin Zasio, the therapist on the hit A&E series Hoarders goes into depth on what being a hoarder is, and how it can happen to anyone. In fact,

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The following are tendencies that are very common in those who struggle with hoarding, and to a lesser extent in non-hoarders.

Read the questions below and note how many of these feelings resonate with you.

1. Do you have a hard time parting with items, even if you never use them or they’re broken?
2. Do you have many items around your house that don’t have a permanent home?

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Dr. Robin Zasio is a busy woman.  She founded and directs the Anxiety Treatment Center of Sacramento, runs her own private practice, and also appears as one of the featured doctors on A&E’s “Hoarders,” one of TV’s most addictive guilty pleasures.

But that’s not all.  Zasio is now starring in “My Extreme Animal Phobia,” Animal Planet’s new original series that takes a behind-the-scenes look at how Zasio works with people to overcome their sheer terror of animals and pets.  On November 22nd, her first book, “The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier Uncluttered Life,” will be published by Rodale Books.

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I wonder if you struggle to part with things or if you have a problem with hoarding? The article highlighted today offers help for anyone who is a hoarder and also offers support for their loved ones. It looks at why people hoard and what treatments are available to help those suffering from this anxiety disorder.

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