Hoarding Disorder: The Habit of Accumulating Items That Can Trigger Family Conflict

JAKARTA — The habit of hoarding items not only makes home conditions cramped and dirty, but can also trigger conflict among family members.

This was experienced by a South Jakarta resident, Sanaji (64), who admits his family frequently scolds him for his habit of accumulating things.

“I’m also confused why they get angry with me. Really, it’s not so much hoarding rubbish—it’s more like collecting cardboard boxes, plywood sheets, tables,” said Sanaji when interviewed by Kompas.com at his home on Friday (13 March 2026).

For instance, when he buys a washing machine or gas cooker, he does not immediately discard the packaging but stores it for years.

So when the appliance breaks down or he wants to resell it, the box is still available. The father of two admits he only throws away accumulated cardboard when it becomes damaged by termites.

Besides cardboard, he also frequently saves used bottles for storing food for his pet birds.

“Those used bottles are for the birds’ water and food containers. The tables in front of the house are for storing my son’s motorcycle equipment,” he explained.

He admits to developing the hoarding habit since his retirement or when he reached senior years.

Sanaji always feels reluctant to discard items he has accumulated, fearing he might need them someday.

He acknowledges his habit of hoarding old items makes his house smaller and dirtier.

“I’m also confused why my father often hoards old items. Like in front of the house, there’s a long old table from a neighbour—the terrace becomes cramped, and underneath becomes a rat’s nest,” said Aris when interviewed at the location on Friday.

When asked why his father frequently hoards items because he fears they might be needed later, Aris noted frequent conflicts arise between them over the accumulated rubbish.

“We argue quite often. He always blames me for making the house messy, when actually he’s the one who likes hoarding things that aren’t even used,” he said.

When Aris takes the initiative to clean up the house by discarding unused items to make it cleaner, his father gets angry instead.

However, approaching Lebaran (Eid celebration), Aris asks his younger sister to clean the house.

This is because when his sister cleans, his father does not dare get angry and can only accept it.

Aris has never brought his father to see a doctor regarding his habit of hoarding discarded items.