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Obsessive Possessive Disorder

Inflicting 9 out of 10 toddlers and young children under the age of five. The cause is unknown, but the presence of siblings and other children might put your child at risk. A child suffering from OPD will break into wild tantrums if his possession is not immediately returned. If it is NOT returned the tantrum may last, on average, from one to 15 minutes, although there are rare cases where crying, screaming, and head bashing have only subsided due to the child's loss of consciousness. In other instances, the length of the fit remains undetermined due to a temporary parental abandonment. Signs and symptoms of this disorder often mistakenly lead a parent to believe that his child simply has a favorite toy or object. This is incorrect. Your child may suffer from OPD if he clutches to an object until reddening of the knuckles and face occur, if he insists on sleeping with an item for more than 5 consecutive nights, or if he screams loudly when another child looks or steps toward the object of choice.

There is no known cure for OPD. In some instances a parent will consistently give in to his child in order to avoid conflict, or the child may eventually outgrow this condition. If a child remains free to act upon his OPD the lasting effects are severe. He will grow up to be a selfish, manipulative adult who is disliked by his peers.



A toddler with OPD clutches to her dining room booster seat, insisting she take it with her.