Kleptomania is a serious psychiatric disorder where someone feels an uncontrollable urge to steal, often small and non-precious items. It is usually part of a larger psychiatric condition and can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, and group therapy.
Kleptomania is an impulse control disorder in which someone feels an uncontrollable urge to steal. While some people find the concept funny or ridiculous, kleptomania is actually a serious psychiatric condition and can cause major problems if left untreated. Commonly, kleptomania is also part of another larger psychiatric condition that should be treated so that the patient can live a well-adjusted life.
The condition’s name comes from the Ancient Greek kleptein, meaning “to steal” and mania, for “mania.” Someone with kleptomania will feel an intense urge to steal items that are often small and non-precious. Once an item is stolen, the kleptomaniac usually feels more at ease, but may experience intense feelings of guilt, which can lead to intense anxiety, triggering another episode.
Several conditions must be met before a person can be diagnosed with kleptomania. The first concerns the type of stolen objects; a person with kleptomania does not steal out of economic necessity, or out of personal desire, he simply takes objects, often hoarding them or sometimes even returning them later. In some cases, a patient may pick up a specific type of item, such as office supplies. The thefts must not be motivated by anger, a desire for revenge or hallucinations.
Furthermore, true kleptomania does not fit into the picture of other psychiatric disorders. For example, a manic-depressive person might steal something during an episode, but they are not a kleptomaniac. Other conditions such as social anxiety disorder and conduct disorder can lead people to steal things, but not in the recurring cycle that characterizes kleptomania.
Before committing a theft, a patient often feels tense and stressed. Once the item is stolen, a feeling of relief or contentment occurs. Someone with kleptomania may be aware of the consequences of theft, such as a prosecution in a court of law, but still commit the theft. Despite the fact that kleptomaniacs have no control over their own behavior, they can be held financially liable in a court of law in many nations.
A variety of things can be used to treat kleptomania. Cognitive behavioral therapy and other therapies are very common, especially since the condition is usually related to other conditions that require treatment. In some cases, medications can be used to see if kleptomania is caused by an imbalance in the patient’s brain. Some patients also benefit from group therapy, which reminds them that they are not alone and there is no shame in seeking treatment.
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