Overview. KleptomaniaNoun. klepto. one who steals compulsively; a kleptomaniac.https://en.wiktionary.org › wiki › klepto
This type of stealing is about a psychological compulsion instead of a desire to profit or gain something material or financial, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Kleptomania is a recurrent failure to resist the urge to steal.
While kleptomania isn't dangerous by itself, it very commonly happens with mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, substance use disorders and addictions, and more.
Depression, but not anxiety, was the most common psychiatric disorder associated with shoplifting. Subjects with depression presented the greatest number of irrational beliefs related to shoplifting.
However, research on dopamine levels found people can become addicted to stealing in a similar way to alcohol, gambling, and drugs. Psychological disorders like bipolar disorder, severe depression, anxiety, and kleptomania may be linked to shoplifting.
Kleptomania is a mental disorder characterised by an uncontrolled and obsessive impulse to steal. In psychiatry it is considered as an impulse control disorder, which means the person with the disorder has problems resisting the temptation to perform acts which are harmful to either themselves or others.
Stealing can be an involuntary coping mechanism to deal with personal conflicts and psychological maladies. Most often, it is a response to a stressful situation or a way to deal with depression, kleptomania, anxiety, or even boredom.
Kleptomania is frequently thought of as being a part of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), since the irresistible and uncontrollable actions are similar to the frequently excessive, unnecessary, and unwanted rituals of OCD. Some individuals with kleptomania demonstrate hoarding symptoms that resemble those with OCD.
Ties to Personality
A study done showed people who shoplift may often be characterized as unorganized, unreliable, unfriendly and antisocial. Also, being young and male plays into the profile. The thought is a person's personality may lead them to be more likely to shoplift than other people.
Overview. Kleptomania (klep-toe-MAY-nee-uh) is a mental health disorder that involves repeatedly being unable to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need. Often the items stolen have little value and you could afford to buy them. Kleptomania is rare but can be a serious condition.
Both may seem very alike but it is important to distinguish between the two. (1) Kleptomania is the urge to steal things that are not yours and it is usually performed as a spontaneous act while shoplifting is the attempt to take things for personal use and often involves prior planning.
Kleptomania is defined as an impulse control disorder and the impulsivity is one of the main symptoms of the syndrome of ADHD. Dopaminergic systems have been implicated in impulsivity and impulse control disorders. Dysregulation of the dopamine system has been implicated in ADHD, too (6).
Trauma: Trauma impacts the brain in many ways. Stealing may be born out of a place of fear. This fear can cause a child's brain to be triggered into survival mode. Their brain is telling them “you're not safe, get what you need to be safe.”
However, you can prevent this amygdala hijack. You can gain control over your brain's irrational emotional reactions. You can do this by slowing down, taking deep breaths, and refocusing your thoughts. These steps allow your brain's frontal lobes to take over for the irrational amygdala.
According to findings, there is an association between shoplifting and borderline personality symptomatology, likely affecting only a portion of individuals with this personality disorder. Viewed as an impulsive behavior, shoplifting is consistent with the construct of BPD.
In addition to emotional distress, kleptomania often has legal consequences. Between 64 and 87 percent of patients with kleptomania have been arrested and 15 to 23 percent have been incarcerated after their crime.
Experts aren't sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood. But, it can also start in childhood.
Doctors aren't sure what causes ADHD. But they do know that kids who have it find it hard to control their impulses. And, they may often engage in risky behaviors like aggressive play, ignoring rules, running off, lying, and stealing.
Learned Behavior
Children may have been taught to steal either directly or by the example of parents or other significant adults. They may continue this behavior because they think it pleases those for whom they are stealing or because they do not know any other way of meeting their own needs.
Financial abuse happens if someone tries to steal, steals or defrauds you of your money, goods or property. This includes: exploitation.
“Typical shoplifters” steal for gain. They thrive on the thrill, act on a dare, or harbor a rebellious motivation. People who suffer from a psychological or cognitive behavioral disorder act on impulse. They fall victim to an urge so powerful they cannot resist it, and afterward they feel genuine guilt and shame.