Kleptomania
The urge to put that jar of nail polish or razor blade in your jacket pocket… It’s impossible to suppress, so you do it. What a relief! Hopefully no one sees what you are doing. A kleptomaniac will recognize this. He steals stuff he doesn’t even want.
Kleptomania is a rare mental illness. People who suffer from it cannot resist the urge to steal. Kleptomaniacs are all about the tension while stealing and the relief when it’s successful. They don’t care about the stuff. What they steal often has little value and is often hidden or thrown away.
Stealing
Kleptomania is also known as stealthiness. It occurs in all layers of society. It belongs to the group of impulse control disorders. This group of disorders also includes gambling addiction, angry outbursts, trichotillomania (hair pulling), and pyromania. Sometimes kleptomaniacs also suffer from depression, alcohol abuse or eating disorders.
Behavioral therapy or antidepressants
There are several treatments for kleptomania. These methods vary widely. Behavioral therapy is often used to treat kleptomania. It is especially important that another occupation is found to replace the stealing. The person will steal to deal with their emotions. If a replacement action is found, the kleptomaniac no longer needs to steal.
Awareness is also part of the treatment; other people are victims of the behavior. The general practitioner or psychiatrist can also use antidepressants. This medication helps to reduce depressive symptoms. This can help reduce stealing
Not always a kleptomaniac
It is also very rare for people arrested for shoplifting to actually suffer from kleptomania. A kleptomaniac does not suffer from anger, revenge or delusions. Nor is it about the item he steals. Only 5 percent of all people who are thought to be kleptomaniacs actually have this disease.
