Kleptomania – What is it, Symptoms and Treatments!
Kleptomania – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments of this compulsive disorder. Additionally, Kleptomania is a common cause of theft that many overlook. This type of stealing is about a psychological compulsion rather than a desire to profit or gain something material or financial, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Kleptomania is a recurring failure to resist the urge to steal. In most cases of Kleptomania , the person steals things they don’t need.
News of the week:
Stolen items are often of little or no value, and they can often easily pay for the item if they chose to pay. This is different from most criminal theft cases where items are stolen out of necessity or because they are too expensive or valuable.
People with Kleptomania feel strong urges to steal, with anxiety , tension, and excitement leading to the stealing, and feelings of pleasure and relief during the stealing. Many kleptomaniacs also feel guilty or regretful after the act of stealing is over, but then could not resist the urge.
People with Kleptomania also steal spontaneously and on their own, while most criminal robberies are planned in advance and may involve another person.
Unlike criminal theft, items that people with Kleptomania steal will rarely be used. They will likely hide them, kick them out, or give them to friends and family.
Kleptomania – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments
Causes of Kleptomania: The causes of Kleptomania are not known. There are several theories that suggest changes in the brain may be at the root of Kleptomania . Kleptomania may be linked to problems with a naturally occurring brain chemical
Serotonin helps regulate mood and emotions. Low serotonin levels are common in people prone to impulsive behavior.
Kleptomania can also be related to addictions, and stealing can cause the release of dopamine (another neurotransmitter). Dopamine triggers pleasurable feelings, and some people seek that satisfying feeling again and again.
Other research has found that Kleptomania can occur after someone sustains a head injury . More research is needed to better understand all these possible causes of Kleptomania .
Symptoms of Kleptomania: The American Psychiatric Association (2000) elected the following items as the main symptoms of Kleptomania:
- recurrent inability to resist urges to steal objects unnecessary for personal use or for their monetary value;
- growing sense of tension before committing the theft;
- pleasure or relief at the time of committing the theft;
- the theft is not committed to express anger or revenge and is not a response to a delusion or hallucination;
- the theft is not due to conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder.
Kleptomania Treatments: Kleptomania is extremely difficult to treat alone, so getting medical help is a necessity for most who experience it. Treatment typically involves a combination of psychotherapy and medication, which can address triggers and causes.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is most commonly used to treat Kleptomania . With this type of treatment, your therapist will help you learn to stop harmful behavior and address the cognition that causes it. In cognitive therapy, your therapist may use:
- Systematic desensitization, in which you practice relaxation techniques to learn to control urges to steal
- Secret sensitization, in which you imagine yourself stealing and then face negative consequences such as being arrested
Medications may be prescribed to treat mood or mental health disorders, such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Your doctor may prescribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or an addiction medication that balances the opioids to balance the brain chemistry that triggers the urge to steal.
Useful links:
While Kleptomania cannot be cured, it can be treated. Continued treatment and precaution is required to prevent kleptomaniac recurrences. If you are doing well under treatment and start to experience requests to steal, make an appointment with your therapist or support group as soon as possible.