Not Everyone Who Shoplifts is a Kleptomaniac

An Obsessive Impulse to Steal

Not Everyone who Shoplifts is a Kleptomaniac

The word Kleptomania was coined more than 200 years ago. Although millions of people shoplift, a very small percentage of these people (1% to 8%) are true kleptomaniacs. Kleptomania is often triggered by major stressful events. Some studies have reported a particularly high (65%) correlation of kleptomania in patients with bulimia.

Kleptomania is a neurotic condition and has different actions than shoplifting. Shoplifting is where the action is usually well-planned and deliberate and motivated by need or monetary gain or as a result of a dare or act of rebellion. The kleptomaniac steals items that are not needed or sought for personal use or monetary value. Often kleptomaniacs are not even fully aware that they have stolen the item.

A Kleptomaniac may hide, give away, or secretly return the stolen items, but he seldom uses them or attempts to profit by their resale. People with this disorder usually exhibit guilt after the theft.

Some clinicians view kleptomania as part of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum of disorders, reasoning that many individuals experience the impulse to steal as an alien, unwanted intrusion into their mental state. Other evidence suggests that kleptomania may be related to mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, social phobia, substance abuse (alcohol and drugs), eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia) and other impulse control disorders.

The cause of kleptomania is unknown, although it may have a genetic compound and may be transmitted among first-degree relatives. Initial psychological evaluations may detect a history of poor parenting, relationship conflicts or acute stressors-abrupt occurrences that cause stress, such as moving from place to place. In one study, a possible interpretation is that, on the psychological level, strict discipline while growing up and the frustration of never getting the things that the child wanted may be of importance for the development of kleptomania.

Diagnosing Kleptomania

Diagnosis of kleptomania is usually quite difficult since patients do not seek medical help for this complaint and initial psychological assessments may not detect it. The disorder is most often diagnosed when a patient is seeking help for another reason, such as depression, bulimia or feelings of emotional instability or unhappiness in general. A psychiatrist or psychologist will give the diagnosis of kleptomania when these symptoms are present:

• A repeated inability to resist the impulse to steal things that are not of personal value
• Just before the theft, the person experiences increasing tension
• A feeling of relief, gratification and/or pleasure when stealing things
• Thefts are not committed out of anger or vengeance
• Lack of a better explanation for the theft, such as another psychologic disorder such as a conduct disorder, manic episode or antisocial personality disorder

Kleptomania is more common in females, although there doesn't seem to be any hormonal basis for the problem. The average age of the kleptomaniac is about 35 and the duration of the illness is roughly 16 years. Some patients report the onset of their kleptomania as early as age five. The exact cause is unknown, but there is evidence linking it with abnormalities in brain chemistry. Researchers suspect it may be linked to the chemical, serotonin, since Prozac, which increases serotonin levels, has shown beneficial effects.

Treatment

Drugs such as Prozac and Revia and other antidepressants seem to have successfully treated people who suffer from cleptomania; however, this may be because the drugs treat other mood disorders that accompany kleptomania, not the kleptomania itself. Other successful treatments include counseling and psychotherapy. Relapse prevention strategies with clear understanding of specific triggers should be stressed.

There is little evidence concerning the prevention of kleptomania. A healthy upbringing, positive intimate relationships, and management of acutely stressful situations may lower the incidence of kleptomania and coexisting disorders. Kleptomania is also spelled, cleptomania.