| Kleptomania: Up Close and Personal Posted: 05 May 2011 10:08 AM PDT  Kleptomania is a serious mental health disorder that is also called compulsive theft behavior. It is characterized by a repeated impulsive urge to steal things that are not at all needed by the person or anyone connected to him. The causes for this disorder are not clear-cut; however, other underlying factors related to psychological disorders have been related to kleptomania. The common psychological disorders that trigger kleptomania include eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and other impulse control disorders. Aside from these underlying psychological factors, it has also been found that kleptomania is related to a low level of a brain chemical called serotonin. Serotonin helps balance emotions and behavior.
Symptoms basically reside in the inability to resist the repeated impulse to steal. In addition, there is no deliberate motivation for the act of stealing except the impulse just to steal. Another symptom is the sense of pleasure the person has when stealing things. Then, after the act, a feeling of guilt or tension occurs yet the individual keeps silent about this problem. This silence about his behavior keeps him untreated unless he is caught doing his manic act.
Once treatment is considered, there are two ways to deal with it. Counseling or therapy is a treatment that can be done through a group or one-to-one session. The aim of this treatment is to treat the underlying psychological problem that is the root of kleptomania. Counseling or therapy may include family therapy and behavior modification. Another treatment is through medication that can also aid in making counseling or therapy successful at times. Medications that raise serotonin levels in the brain or those that balance behavior, mood swings or emotions prevent the urge to steal. Drugs such as fluoxetine and naltrexone are also helpful.
Kleptomania has still a broad range of unknown causes. However, the treatments used have been known to be effective.
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