Kleptomania: addicted to stealing. An addiction is an uncontrollable urge to perform an action. Kleptomania is stealing goods from others, at home or from a store. Kleptomania is an addiction to stealing and belongs to mental disorders and uncontrollable impulsive behavior. How does it arise and how do you recognize a kleptomaniac?
What is kleptomania?
Sometimes kleptomania is confused with pyromania. Pyromania is eagerness, kleptomania is stealth. This is about an uncontrollable urge to steal. This stealing can be in a store , but also at other people’s homes. Kleptomania is one of the psychological disorders.
Who can become a kleptomaniac?
Kleptomania usually occurs in people who have been neglected during childhood and have not received attention. It also occurs in people who experience a loss. usually in the sexual sphere. Women in particular suffer from this behavior more often, usually in the (pre)menstrual period and during menopause. This often arises from a competition with a man, or the woman has a desire for a child. Kleptomania is not common. It is often thought that a shoplifter is a kleptomaniac, but only a small proportion actually are.
A kleptomaniac is not a person from the lower population, as is often thought. Kleptomania occurs in people from all walks of life.
Am I a kleptomaniac or a criminal?
The difference between a kleptomaniac and a criminal is big: a kleptomaniac steals from an uncontrollable urge, a criminal steals for profit. This is reflected in the things that are stolen: for a criminal they are large or expensive, for a kleptomaniac they are small and trivial. The overview below clearly shows the difference between kleptomaniac and criminal.
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Kleptomaniac |
Criminal |
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Can’t stop himself from stealing something |
Can control itself well and does not steal when the coast is unsafe |
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Steals small things like a pen, a bottle, trivial things |
Steals on value: the more expensive the better |
|
Sometimes throws away the stolen property |
Uses the stolen property himself or resells it |
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Sometimes not aware of stealing |
Is always aware of stealing |
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Has a behavioral disorder or personality disorder |
Sometimes has a behavioral disorder or a personality disorder, but is not a reason to steal |
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Does not feel revenge or anger towards others or society |
Sometimes steals out of revenge or anger towards others or society |
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Feels relief or satisfaction while stealing |
Feels tension while stealing |
A kleptomaniac usually steals in order to better deal with his or her emotions. In many cases, the kleptomaniac does not realize that he or she is stealing. Sometimes it is so bad that the kleptomaniac only discovers at home that he/she has taken something from someone else or from a store. Kleptomaniacs often also have a preference for a specific object, which is why they often steal the same objects over and over again. Stolen objects are often thrown away unused.
Therapy
It is important to teach the kleptomaniac to deal with his feelings. By offering the patient another activity, compulsive theft can be prevented. This activity must be in line with the patient’s interests, otherwise he will revert to his old behavior.
The patient will also need to become aware that the thieving behavior harms others. This can best be explained through a role play, in which a valuable possession is taken from the patient within a game. Because the patient gets negative feelings about this, it can be explained that someone else also gets these negative feelings when something is taken away. This method is especially helpful in explaining behavior to children.
Sometimes medication is necessary in the form of antidepressants. Because medication reduces feelings of depression, stealing behavior can also decrease or decrease. Psychological help in the form of (group ) conversations can also help.