Psychology of Kleptomania

Most people have stolen something throughout their lives. It may have been something big and against the law, it may have been something tiny and done in the earcly childhood. It doesn‘t even have to be something material. It can be an idea for an essay in the 9th grade or a piece of bubble gum from your best friend.

Despite the size of your theft, it would be immoral and in some cases – against the law. But there is something that could overrule the moral and legal consequences of your action – a disorder called kleptomania. How, one would ask. Becouse then,a person can‘t medically resist stealing, I would answer. Kelptomania is a kind of mania, when you can‘t resist the urge to steal, despite the vallue of the stolen item or it‘s usefulness to the stealer.

It‘s quite obvious, that the problem rests in our brains. But no one has come to an united conclusion. Some professionals say, that it‘s a part of the obsessive-compulsive disorder and others argue that it‘s an addiction, relying on the fact, that keltomaniacs usually have a substance abuse disorder.

Not much is known about helping this kind of people out. Most common treatment is drugs and self-help groups. So it is an area open for studies and future discoveries.