What is the most effective treatment for kleptomania?
Your doctor may consider prescribing: An addiction medication called naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, which may reduce the urges and pleasure associated with stealing. An antidepressant — specifically a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Other medications or a combination of medications.
How do you help a kleptomaniac?
Although there’s no cure for kleptomania, treatment with medication or talk therapy (psychotherapy) may help to end the cycle of compulsive stealing.
At what age does kleptomania begin?
The average onset age of kleptomania is 17 years old. However, kleptomania’s age of onset can vary widely. Symptoms have been reported in children as young as 5 years old, while some people say they didn’t notice symptoms until the age of 55. Kleptomania Among Children and Adolescents.
How does kleptomania affect the brain?
Researchers are looking at a possible link between impulse control disorders — including kleptomania — and certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain send messages to each other. An imbalance of these chemicals can affect how the brain controls impulses.
Are Kleptomaniacs aware?
DSM-5 notes that the theft is not done to express anger or vengeance, or in response to a delusion or hallucination. Some kleptomaniacs are not even consciously aware that they are committing a theft until later.
Is kleptomania a form of OCD?
Kleptomania is frequently thought of as being a part of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), since the irresistible and uncontrollable actions are similar to the frequently excessive, unnecessary, and unwanted rituals of OCD. Some individuals with kleptomania demonstrate hoarding symptoms that resemble those with OCD.
Are Kleptomaniacs aware that they steal?
In the case of kleptomania, the urge to steal is intense and cannot be controlled. People with kleptomania may be very aware of the consequences of stealing, yet they still must steal to satisfy their urges. Like other impulse control disorders including problem gambling, individuals may attempt to stop, but cannot.
Is kleptomania a mental illness?
Kleptomania is a mental disorder characterised by an uncontrolled and obsessive impulse to steal. In psychiatry it is considered as an impulse control disorder, which means the person with the disorder has problems resisting the temptation to perform acts which are harmful to either themselves or others.
Is kleptomania a crime?
Kleptomania is an enigmatic condition in which crime (theft) forms a part of its diagnostic criteria. Not surprisingly, it is commonly used by the defence counsel for mitigation of theft and related offences, especially for repeat theft offenders.
Is stealing a compulsive behavior?
Kleptomania, or compulsive stealing, is a common cause of theft that many forget about. This type of stealing is about a psychological compulsion instead of a desire to profit or gain something material or financial, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.
Is kleptomania a legal defense?
Though kleptomania is a legitimate mental health condition recognized by the medical establishment, it cannot be used as a legal criminal defense. In other words, an individual is fully responsible for their stealing activity and can be prosecuted despite a diagnosis of kleptomania.