Theft mania or kleptomania is a common mental disorder, and although the causes of kleptomania are not known precisely, there are many symptoms of Kleptomania through which one can know how to treat Kleptomania.
What is kleptomania?
Kleptomania is defined as the inability of a person with this disorder to resist the urge to steal things for the sole purpose of stealing and not because of their need or desire for these things. People with kleptomania also have stress that is relieved by committing theft.
Theft mania often appears at some point during adolescence, and appears more common in women than in men, and given that stealing is illegal, this disorder can lead to significant legal consequences. People with kleptomania may face arrest, trial and imprisonment as a result of their symptoms.
Symptoms of kleptomania
Whereas, robbery may alleviate the individual's stress. However, he may feel guilt and remorse after the crime. Feelings of shame, self-accusations, and regret are very common after theft.
Sometimes an individual with kleptomania stores things somewhere far away, or he may get rid of stolen items by giving them to friends and family or even returning them to the place where the theft was done. The main symptoms of kleptomania include:
Frequent failure to resist the impulse to theft.
Stealing items that have no or no value.
Feeling comfortable or pleasant while stealing.
Kleptomania can occur on its own, but it often appears alongside other conditions as well. People with this condition may be prone to substance abuse and anxiety. In addition to other disorders associated with impulse control, some of the other disorders that can occur besides Kleptomania include:
Mood disorders
Panic disorder
Body dysmorphic disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
These mental disorders have also been shown to have a strong link with drug and alcohol abuse. And some researchers also point to some kind of genetic link between substance use disorders and kleptomania. Some other research has indicated that 73 percent of people with kleptomania have also been diagnosed with an emotional disorder at some point in their lives.
Causes of Kleptomania
The exact causes of kleptomania have yet to be determined. Nevertheless, there are several suggestions in psychology that illustrate the possible link between impulse control disorders - including kleptomania - and certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain to send messages to each other, and an imbalance in these chemicals can affect how the brain controls various behaviors, including the inability to resist theft.
People with kleptomania often have other mental health disorders as well. The most common ones are depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. This suggests that there may also be an association between these disorders and the development of kleptomania, and here are some of the different perspectives in psychology that offer some possible explanations for the causes of kleptomania:
1- Psychoanalytic approach
Psychoanalysis has approached the explanation of Kleptomania in several ways. Where some psychologists have suggested that people are driven to acquire things in order to symbolically compensate for some type of loss or early neglect, and according to this approach, the disorder can be treated by discovering the motives behind this behavior.
2- Cognitive behavioral approach
Cognitive behavioral explanations suggest that the disorder may begin after the first theft. With no negative consequences, this behavior is more likely to occur again in the future. When the signals related to theft become very strong, the likelihood that it will continue. And then we find a strong desire to steal is irresistible, and because the act of stealing relieves the stress and tension experienced by the individual, this behavior also becomes associated with reducing tension, and over time the individual begins to steal as a way to deal with and reduce stress.
3- The biological approach
Biological explanations suggest that this behavior may be related to specific regions of the brain and the likelihood of dysregulating certain neurotransmitters is very great. Some studies have linked the appearance of Kleptomania with a dysfunction in the frontal lobe of the brain.
Treating kleptomania
Although there is no effective treatment for Kleptomania, there are common treatments that have worked with some cases, including:
pharmaceutical
Shown selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In addition to other antidepressants, they are effective in treating symptoms of Kleptomania and can be used in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Psychotherapy
CBT targets both the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to theft. It has been shown to be effective in managing symptoms of Kleptomania. However, psychotherapy is often the first line of treatment for these mental disorders, which aims to help the patient identify his motives and discover the reason for his behavior based on these motives. Hence finding more appropriate ways to relieve anxiety and stress.
Theft mania is a serious mental disorder that can have a major impact on an individual's performance and life. Not only can the disruption lead to significant distress. It can also lead to serious legal consequences for people caught during theft.
