Hoarding Disorder in Children is Dangerous, Let’s Avoid It

Hoarding Disorder in Children is Dangerous, Let’s Avoid It! – As parents, we need to be careful, as this can be a serious disorder in children.

It can be annoying for some parents when their children often leave their belongings piled up untidily for long periods of time.

Such habits in children are sometimes considered normal, but we need to be aware that they could be a psychological disorder or condition called hoarding disorder.

Understanding Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding Disorder is a psychological disorder in which a person likes to store items excessively. These items are stored untidily and are difficult to manage.

It may sound like a normal thing for children, but this disorder will gradually become a negative habit that is ingrained in their adult development. This disorder can be observed in children when parents ask them to tidy up or sort through piles of belongings.

The child may feel sad, stressed, and reluctant to part with their cherished possessions.

Don’t Let It Become a Habit for Your Child

Hoarding things and collecting things are two different things. Let’s say he is a collector of things, he will certainly organize and take care of those things.

Even though those things are only used occasionally, he knows how to put them in their proper place.

Meanwhile, hoarding things can cause chaos, such as:

It looks unclean, inviting animals/insects to make it their nesting place.
It causes inconvenience to others, such as tripping, falling, and getting hurt.
It causes stress to people when they see it.

The psychological disorder Hoarding Disorder was previously classified by the American Psychiatric Association as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

However, in 2013, Hoarding Disorder was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Hoarding Disorder in Children Can Be Cured

The solution for treating hoarding disorder in children is quite difficult, because in general, the habit of hoarding items and the resulting untidiness is not a big problem.

However, it can be cured through the role of parents in raising their children’s awareness from an early age to tidy up the items they want to keep.