The Compulsions of a Kleptomaniac

One of my friends has recently come clean: she is addicted to stealing things.

"What sorts of things?" I ask her, trying not to be judgemental, for I knew that this was a difficult thing for her to admit.

"Stupid things," she says sadly. "Useless things. Things I don't even need. I steal for no reason at all. I think I'm a kleptomaniac. I've thought so for a long time, and I don't know how to stop."

Shortly before she had confessed this to me, she had gotten caught at a store, and while she received a mere slap on the wrist (which is extremely rare, by the way, and the shopkeeper is a merciful saint), she was mortified. She feels that it's only a matter of time before she is caught again.

What is kleptomania? It's a constant compulsion to steal, even when the individual has plenty of money to buy the items. What distinguishes it from typical theft? Usually, the stolen items are not for personal use or for monetary gain, and are often mere trinkets and worthless baubles. The lack of a clear-cut incentive indicates the presence of a disorder, since the individual is stealing for "no reason at all".

It is commonly reported that before the act of stealing, the individual experiences a stressful response, a tension and when the act of theft is completed, this tension is released, and euphoria sets in.

The stealing is usually done alone and it is rare for kleptomaniacs to work in collaboration. Kleptomania is characterized by a lack of thorough planning, and the individual rarely considers the potential ramifications.

So the individual cannot resist these impulses. Why? What separates kleptomaniacs from the rest of the population of non-snitchers? Is kleptomania in a class of its own, or is does it go hand-in-hand with psychological gambling and emotional eating? Is it purely a biological imbalance, which makes it extremely difficult for the individual to restrain him/herself from engaging in carrying out such impulses? Or are there any other factors?

Many experts categorize kleptomania as a type of disorder of impulse-control. This dysfunction of impulse-control is also seen in people with trichotillomania, which is the compulsion to repeatedly pluck out hairs from eyebrows, scalp, and eyelashes in particular, as well as from other parts of the body. And of course, problems with impulse-control are also implicated in psychological gambling, emotional eating and substance abuse.

The impulsive component of kleptomania may be due to chemical abnormalities of the brain, and has been linked to lower brain serotonin activity. Prozac is often prescribed for those who struggle with kleptomania, as this psychotropic drug is an antidepressant which boosts the availability of serotonin in the brain. Certain stressors could also trigger kleptomania, but it is likely that one already has impulse-control issues to begin with.

Often, problems with impulse-control are seen in those with borderline and antisocial personality disorders. There is also a possible co-morbidity with mood disorders such as anxiety disorders and depression. A lot of psychological disorders share some of the same symptoms: a manic state that is part of the ups and downs of bipolar disorder could lead one to engage in unplanned theft and an individual with conduct disorder could engage in theft just to violate the law. It is difficult to disentangle all of the symptoms and terms and concepts, and to find a real cause behind a behavioral pattern. For the people that I know who struggle with impulse-control disorders, cognitive-behavioral therapy seems to be one of the best treatments, particularly for those who refuse to take medication. Usually those with impulse-control disorders have very distorted views of themselves, the world and of what is going to become of them. Such an individual often has a very fragile sense of self and this therapy can help not only with those who suffer from kleptomania, but also from other impulse-control disorders. I mentioned this option to my friend, but treatments are too costly for her. She is trying meditation to help manage her impulses, and if she is met with success, then I will explore that realm, and possibly share it in another article.