How can people be Kleptomaniac? Read the explanation

Kleptomania is a persistent psychological disorder, in which an individual (children & young adults) has a strong urge to steal something from someone else's house, shop, mall etc without any special need for the object. The stolen goods may haveminor value, also kleptomaniacs do not steal for personal gain or has intention to harm anyone. Kleptomaniacs steal to calm the stress, anxiety and tension they felt before stealing.

It is rarely seen in adults over the age of 50. This disorder can be treated by consultation of a psychologist. Cognitive behavioral therapy is seen as the most effective treatment option for kleptomaniacs.

Like many other mental disorders, Kleptomania begins with an inability to control one's own behavior. A teenager with kleptomania cannot control the urge to perform actions that may harm themselves or others. The urge to steal is often too strong for them to resist.

People with kleptomania may face arrest, trial, and detention as a result of their symptoms. One clinical patient study found that more than 68% of those with kleptomania had been arrested for stealing. Having a relative with the disorder, or a head injury, or suffering from mood disorders, eating disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder makes one more vulnerable to this condition. But not everybody who steals on an impulse can be called a kleptomaniac. Psychologists have a list of criteria that has to be met before they brand someone a kleptomaniac.

Symptoms of Kleptomania

1. Repeated impulse to steal

2. Increased sense of pressure before stealing

3. Stolen objects have minor value

4. Feelings of relief, pleasure, and satisfaction when an object is stolen

5. Pathological lies

6. Theft cannot be explained by other distractions

Kleptomania can occur alone, but it often occurs with other conditions as well. People with this condition may be prone to substance use and anxiety, as well as other related disorders with impulse control. Some other disorders that can occur together with kleptomania include:

• Mood disorders

• Panic disorder

• Separation anxiety disorder

• Body dysmorphic disorder

• Anxiety disorders

Seeing a psychiatrist does not mean that you have gone mad or lost your function as a human being. On the contrary, by following the signs above to go to a psychiatrist, a person can prevent himself from developing mental disorders and continue to carry out as a human being.