I watched Hoarders with Katie when we were in Milwaukee and now i've been lost in the TWoP forums about them and a bunch of hoarding links.
This one is just amazing, and not in the freakshow-spectacle wayv.
http://reclaimingdignity.homestead.com/stories.html:
It was slow and hard in the beginning and very overwhelming. I think the only thing I was able to do at first was empty my overflowing ashtray, which was like knocking a piss ant off an elephant, but at least it was something. After that, I started picking up trash 30 seconds at a time, all within arm's reach of my recliner. Then I put a trashcan beside my chair so I had someplace to put the debris that always seemed to collect around it. Since I managed to created a little oasis of clean there, I moved on to my computer desk, all the while making sure I maintained what I'd already done. After that, it began to get easier and I was able to create more little pockets of order, just by nibbling away at it, bit by bit. Eventually, those little pockets started to meet up and I found I had whole areas that were beginning to come together. Over the course of the last two years, I managed to move tons of building materials, rebuild my kitchen, including totally recreating, refinishing, and reinstalling my cabinets and sink. I moved tons of boxes and furniture, and in the process, cleared and cleaned out tons of useless clutter. I scrubbed every wall and surface of the thick grime built up from the years of neglect and I did it all just a few minutes at a time.
Coincidentally, Mica lost his first tooth on our drive to Missouri, and because he dropped it into the pit of our car, I can't find it. However, just reading the Hoarders synopses has gotten two boxes of clutter out of our attic today.