Kleptomania (impulsive theft): 6 myths about this disorder

What are the misconceptions we have about people with this disorder?

What is kleptomania? Due to frequent misinformation, TV and movie clichés, and stigmatization by those unaware of the seriousness of this disorder, kleptomania patients have been an easy target for decades, not only being the object of ridicule and prejudice but also of unfair legal battles against them.

This, with the passage of time, has only reaffirmed that there is a profound lack of knowledge about this disorder. That is why today we have set out to disprove some of the misconceptions, we have set out to debunk some of the most widespread myths about kleptomaniacs..

What is kleptomania?

However, it is necessary to clarify from the outset what exactly this disease consists of. Kleptomania is catalogued by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition). (in its fourth edition) as a disorder belonging to the group of impulse control disorders and whose main characteristic consists of recurrent difficulty in controlling impulses to steal..

The kleptomaniac often has an uncontrollable urge to steal things he or she does not need. Key components of kleptomania include recurrent thoughts of intrusion, a sense of helplessness that drives them to perpetrate the theft, and a feeling of pressure release and a certain euphoria after the theft has been committed.

Diagnostic criteria for kleptomania

Likewise, the DSM-IV also provides us with diagnostic criteria for this disease among which are the following:

Comorbidity

People diagnosed with kleptomania frequently have other types of disorders that negatively influence their moods.. The comorbidity of kleptomania is varied, but the most common disorders are: anxiety, eating-related problems or also within the same group of impulse control.

It is also important to clarify that kleptomaniacs are usually classified into three groups: sporadic kleptomaniacs, sporadic kleptomaniacs and sporadic kleptomaniacs. sporadic kleptomaniacsamong whom the time between thefts occurs at very long intervals; episodic kleptomaniacs, among whom the time between thefts occurs at very long intervals; episodic episodic kleptomaniacsepisodic kleptomaniacs, in whose case the thefts are committed more frequently but in which there are certain periods of "rest"; and chronic kleptomaniacs, among whom the time between thefts occurs at very long intervals. chronic kleptomaniacswho steal latently and continuously to the point where this activity constitutes a severe problem for the person and disrupts their daily activities.

Debunking myths

Among the myths that are most frequently related to this disease and those who suffer from it, we find the following:

Myth 1: They take pleasure in stealing and are incapable of feeling guilt.

The kleptomaniac experiences an accumulation of negative emotions and a certain increase in internal tension before stealing an object, and therefore feels that only by stealing will he be able to relieve this discomfort. While it is true that this feeling of relief of tension is present after carrying out the act, the sensation is different from that of pleasure, because it is usually accompanied by a latent feeling of guilt after the act. In other words, the anxiety and internal tension (growing in the moments prior to the act) is relieved through the theft..

Myth 2: They will steal whenever they have the chance and are incurable.

As we have mentioned above, the number of thefts that a person with this condition will commit will vary according to the type of kleptomaniac he/she is (episodic, sporadic, sporadic, sporadic, sporadic, sporadic). (episodic, sporadic or chronic). In addition, it is important to emphasize that kleptomaniacs only commit theft in response to a previous increase in anxiety and tension, so the belief that they are capable of stealing everything if they have the opportunity to do so is false. Regarding treatment, several therapies (especially behavioral) have shown very good results in mitigating the anxiety prior to the act and, thus, eliminating the need to steal.

Myth 3: Stealing by kleptomaniacs is escalating and they are professional thieves.

When kleptomaniacs steal, they are only responding to an inner impulse.. Therefore, they do not share any characteristics with "ordinary" thieves beyond the fact that they steal, so they are not able to premeditate or plan their thefts, they just do it occasionally. For this same reason, their thefts do not escalate, as for example those of career criminals who went through a criminal evolutionary process (e.g., they may have started by stealing a wallet, then robbed a store, then a bank, etc.). Kleptomaniacs are not professionalized in what they do, they just do it. It is true that they will find the best opportunity to do so, but at no time is this intended to be their modus vivendi (the way they make a living) since, for them, stealing does not bring any lucrative benefit.

Myth 5: They are perfectly capable of controlling their desire to steal but don't want to.

Completely false. Kleptomaniacs are able to understand that the act of stealing is wrong, but they simply cannot control their desire to steal.but they simply cannot control their need to steal things. For them it is as necessary to commit the act of stealing as it is for a gambling addict to gamble. This is why it is sometimes debated whether it should be categorized as part of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Myth 6: They are insane/deviant/mentally deranged.

Neither insane nor alienated: they are perfectly capable of fending for themselves, since they do not have delusional or paranoid characteristics, so they understand perfectly well what is going on in their lives.They understand reality perfectly well. Sometimes, it is true that the act of stealing can interfere with their daily activities (as in the case of chronic kleptomaniacs), but a correct treatment can redirect the situation and provide them with a completely normal life.

Differences between kleptomaniacs and common thieves

Here are some of the differences between kleptomaniacs and common thieves.

What therapies can help a kleptomaniac?

Current therapies that aim to diffuse the impulses to steal in kleptomaniacs can be pharmacological and/or behavioral. In many cases, antidepressants are administered with the aim of regulating the levels of serotonin released by the subject when committing the act.

As mentioned above, among the most effective psychotherapeutic work for kleptomaniacs are behavioral therapies with an emphasis on cognitive therapy. This type of therapy achieves an adequate development in their daily activities. On the other hand, some psychoanalysts report that the true causes of compulsive stealing are centered on unconsciously repressed discomforts during early childhood. It is also advised that those who suffer from this disorder share with a third party their experiences, sensations and thoughts, so that this trusted person exercises a "watchdog" role.

• Feeling of uncertainty and tension in the moments prior to committing the theft.

• Well-being, a feeling of euphoria and success at the moment of perpetrating the theft.

• The theft does not have a choleric motivation nor is it a response to a delusional disorder or background hallucinations.

• Eheft is not explained by the presence of a dissocial disorder, an antisocial behavioral disorder.antisocial personality disorder or a manic episode.

• While common thieves commit their acts out of their own conviction, the kleptomaniac responds to an inner impulse.The latter does not commit his acts with free will.

• Commonly, some mild psychopathic traits are found in thieves (e.g. need for immediate satisfaction of their drives, egocentrism, perversity, etc.) (e.g., need for immediate satisfaction of their drives, egocentrism, perversity, etc.) while in kleptomaniacs there are no traits of some of the above characteristics.

• Thieves generally seek to profit from the goods they steal; kleptomaniacs do not.. Also, while common thieves steal the goods they consider to be of greatest value, kleptomaniacs are motivated only by the act of stealing itself, and do not make monetary value judgments about the goods they steal.

• Within a thief's distorted value scheme, what he does is right or "just.". A kleptomaniac, however, knows that what he does is not right but finds it very difficult to control.

• The thief usually has no remorse (or more specifically yes, but mitigates this with intricate defense mechanisms) while the kleptomaniac, as soon as the act is consummated, is overcome with enormous amounts of guilt and anguish.