Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : August 3, 2019 8:00 PM IST
Kleptomania is a disorder which compels people to steal things with either little or no value. ©Shutterstock
Kleptomania is an impulsive behavioural control disorder where a person is unable to resist the urge to steal items that are usually of little or no value to him. This is not a very common condition but can cause emotional distress if not treated on time.
Kleptomaniacs commit acts of theft out of compulsion because the urge to steal is overwhelming. These acts are usually spontaneous and are not planned in advance. However, the severity of the problem may decrease with time. There are no treatment options for this condition, but therapy can help.
Psychologists are divided over why this condition occurs. Some say that it could be because of changes in the serotonin, a naturally occurring neurotransmitter, in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are common in people prone to impulsive behaviours. Another reason could bean imbalance in the opioid system in the brain that could make it hard for a person to resist urges. This could also be an additive disorder where the patient steals again and again to get the rush that comes with the act. But all agree that more research is need on the subject.
The Inability to resist the urge to steal unnecessary things.
A sense of tension, anxiety or arousal before the theft.
A feeling of pleasure, relief or gratification while stealing.
A feeling of guilt, remorse, shame and fear of arrest after the act.
Having a close family member who has this condition can act as a trigger. Obsessive-compulsive disorder or alcohol and substance abuse can increase the risk of kleptomania. If you are bipolar or have an anxiety disorder, you may be prone to developing this condition. An eating disorder, substance abuse and depression can also place you in the high-risk group. A study published the Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, says depressed people are more prone to impulse control disorders like kleptomania.
There are no known treatment options for this condition. Group therapy and counselling helps. Sometimes, drugs that treat other impulse control disorders work in kleptomania too. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine found that a drug used commonly to treat alcohol and substance abuse curbs the urge to steal in kleptomaniacs. In another experiment at Stanford University Medical Center, the use of medication to treat this condition remained inconclusive.
But thanks to Neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley, there is hope that a cure can be found for kleptomania and other impulse control disorders. According to research conducted in this University by the neuroscientists, the exact locations in the brain where calculations that can result in addictive and compulsive behaviour are made has been identified. These scientists have discovered how neural activity in the brain's orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex regulates our choices. This is excellent news for the development of a cure for kleptomania and other impulse control disorders. The journal Nature Neuroscience published this study.
You may be suffering from impulse control disorder if you have no control over impulsive behaviour. Although each type of disorder is unique, all impulse-control disorders involve issues with emotional and behavioural self-control. Gambling, recklessness and being anti-social indicates this condition. However, psychiatrists officially recognise 5 impulse control disorders. Kleptomania is one of them. Read on to see what the other four are.
This disorder can wreck your life. Gambling becomes a compulsion and you may run up a huge debt. To pay it off, you are forced to steal, borrow and sell personal belongings. People often leave their jobs and families cut off ties with them. You constantly look for ways to win back the money you have lost and this makes the problem worse. It is a vicious circle that becomes unending.
This condition can compel you to set off fires at random places. This is a dangerous disorder. Again, as in kleptomania, the intention is not personal gain or revenge. But it is dangerous because it can cause serious injury that can be fatal. Obsessed and fascinated with all aspects of fire is a common symptom. Sometimes, if they see a fire somewhere, they may just stand there watching.
Here, you literally pull out your hair, strand by strand. Even eyebrows and eyelashes are not spared. This is a very visible disorder that compels a person to perform an unconscious act that causes social embarrassment. A feeling of boredom or nervousness can trigger this condition. A person starts to pull out body hair unconsciously while watching television, reading or even when sitting with other people.
In this condition, you explode suddenly in rage. A feeling of anger and nervousness can energise you before an episode and there is a feeling of embarrassment after each incident. This aggressive behaviour can cause serious damage both physically and be emotionally draining.
These are common problems that most people face. But when it goes out of control, it becomes a problem. In fact, 1 to 3 percent of the population globally are pathological gamblers and Trichotillomania affects around 1 to 4 per cent of the population. Kleptomania is, in fact, the most uncommon among all the mentioned disorders. With changing times, psychiatrists say that compulsive sexuality and internet and computer game addiction can also be added to the list because of many similarities.
