KLEPTOMANIA

Kleptomania is the condition of not being able to stop stealing things that you do not really need. Kleptomania is a rare but very serious mental disorder. It may cause emotional pain to you and your loved ones if it is not treated.

Kleptomania is a type of impulse control disorder. If you have an impulse control disorder, you have difficulty controlling your actions and perform acts that are harmful to you or someone else.

People with kleptomania live their lives in secret shame because they are mostly afraid to demand treatment as it may come with some legal consequences. However, a mental health professional will never report your thefts to authorities. There is unfortunately no known cure for kleptomania, however, treatment with medication or talk therapy might help to reduce the effects or occurrence of compulsive stealing.

People with kleptomania are different from shoplifters in many ways. They do not steal for personal gain, on a dare, for revenge or out of rebellion. They steal only because the urge is so strong that they cannot resist it. Stealing generally occurs without planning and without help from another person. People with kleptomania usually steal from public places, such as supermarkets and stores. Some just steal from friends or even family. The stolen items usually is not valuable to the person with kleptomania, and the person is usually able to afford them. They usually stash the items and never use them. They may even donate them or in some cases, secretly return them to the place from which they stole. They are almost always in a powerful sense of guilt.