Here are some current ways this can be achieved, note that as we become more aware of the disorder through therapy and other ways, the options and effectiveness of treatments will increase – 1. Although it rarely happens that someone with the disorder comes out seeking a cure on their own and since it requires the support of near and dear ones, it is not very well understood and warrants a close one to help bring it to light to someone going through this and help them. This is an extremely important step to take for someone who has the urge of kleptomania and seeks a way out. Genetic / Social factors: These are not firm evidence, but cultural or environmental factors like growing up with a family history of kleptomania, addiction etc.It could also be a result of some imbalance in the opioid system of the brain or a difference in brain structure, which holds back inhibition lesser. Neurobiological: abnormal brain activity, low levels of serotonin, or higher dopamine release making it impulsive and addictive as a result of concussions etc.Psychological/Mental illness driven: Stress, Substance abuse, anxiety, past trauma as a child/family linked ones, bipolar disorder, depression or other mood-based disorders, other personality disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorders etc.It has mostly been a mystery, but different neurobiological, genetic, and psychosocial factors or a combination of them can lead to kleptomania. Uncontrolled urges to return to cycles of these activities.Another rare way is to pay for them and hoard these things. Either by throwing away, returning or in some act of charity. Negative emotions like feeling guilty, regretful or filled up with shame follow.These are extremely isolated experiences and near & dear ones are often uninformed. There’s tension, stress, and anticipation before the act as it’s not planned or collaborated on, followed by relief or satisfaction right after.The stolen items are not items of necessity or personal/financial value.SymptomsĪccording to the DSM-5, kleptomania is when a person’s thefts cannot be better explained by a manic episode or other disorders like Antisocial Personality Disorder etc. As noted above, items are hidden or given back/away due to guilt in kleptomania, theft generally does not imply these actions afterwards. A theft can be pre-planned and collaborated on, but a kleptomaniac act is generally on impulse. When comparing kleptomania to shoplifting or theft in terms of types of items, theft is generally of personal/monetary value. Stealing, broadly the act of taking something without permission covers both intended & dishonest criminal theft and compulsive/impulsive but unintended behaviours. It is also much more common than this disorder in the general population. Kleptomania is thus distinct from ordinary theft or shoplifting, which is typically motivated by the usefulness or value of the item. The urge and the anxiety before stealing combined with relief during or just after are defining features of kleptomania.

As people generally know that it is a wrong act in these cases, they commonly experience feelings of depression, guilt, shame, or stress after the thefts occur.Īs a result, sometimes giving these away in charity or returning them is a coping mechanism for this action. The thefts are risk-averse but are not generally planned out, they are also generally acted out alone.

The aim is generally not that of financial gain and even though the stress that caused it is generally major, it remains mysterious to observers. Read More: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments Aim and Aftermath

Kleptomania personality disorder