Hoarders inspires me to clean and toss. I think there must be a genetic element to some hoarding behaviors. As my mother grew older I noticed that her home was growing more and more cluttered. She would keep everything and I mean EVERYthing - old bread bags, jars, twist ties. My husband and I would try to help her clean up and would put stuff into the trash. When we returned, we'd find that she brought it back into the house, so we started loading it in our car and taking it home to our trash. As her friends passed away, she would bring their stuff into the house.
Her sister, my aunt, also hoarded everything. Fifteen years ago I visited her duplex in the heart of NYC and saw that the walls were lined with stacks of mail she hadn't opened. Her office was just as bad. She started hoarding sick old cats and the apartment had a horrible odor. I suggested to my sisters that this was unhealthy and that perhaps Adult Protective Services should become involved. They said NO! It makes her happy. Well, I don't know how happy she was as at the end she had 17 cats and her bed was covered in feces. It took my sister -- the worst enabler -- months to clean out the apartment.
I think I had the tendency to hoard myself, especially after the death of my mother. Thank God that Superstorm Sandy took 90% of it. I will never, not ever, go down that path again. And I do highly recommend Flylady. If you follow her you'll stay on track.