Kleptomania, which is actually the name of the stealing disease, has been heard by many people. Kleptomania, also known as stealing disease or stealing disease, belongs to the class of psychological diseases. It is a rare disease that occurs in approximately 0.3% to 0.6% of the population. These rates may not fully reflect the truth, as the person feels a desire to hide this disease because he is ashamed and only reveals it when he encounters a legal problem.
What is Kleptomania?
The word kleptes, which means thief in Greek In fact, this is the origin of the name of the disease. To give a short answer to the question of what kleptomania means, this condition can actually be defined as a stealing disease. Kleptomania, or stealing, is an impulse control disorder and occurs in seizures. It can also be explained as the inability to resist the urges to steal even if the person does not need it in terms of personal use or material value. In other words, kleptomania is the desire to steal objects that one does not need at all, and the repetitive and uncontrollable inability to remain indifferent to this desire. After the act of stealing, the person usually either gives the stolen object to someone else, puts it back in secret, or throws it away. The urges to steal in these people are usually instantaneous and unplanned and unaided. Also, the person can steal the belongings of his family or friends. Studies have shown that the incidence of kleptomania is higher in women than in men. It has been observed that 77% of people with diagnosed kleptomania are women.
This psychological disorder usually starts in adolescence, that is, around the age of 20 on average, and continues until late adulthood. However, in some cases, this discomfort can last a lifetime. Studies have shown that between 64% and 87% of people with kleptomania have a history of being caught stealing. Another study found that the lifetime average number of seizures in patients was approximately three per patient. stated the shower. Kleptomania is not a common condition in children. Examples of these conditions are mood disorders, the loss of a loved one, sudden and/or drastic declines in quality of life. People with this disorder are more often referred to treatment for comorbid conditions. This disease is usually kept secret by the patient and their relatives. The decision to treat kleptomania is taken only when the person encounters a legal problem.
When the relationship between kleptomania and other diseases is examined, it can be seen that it is in connection with many different diseases. Examples of these diseases are anxiety disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, sexual dysfunctions, substance use and personality disorders.
What are the Symptoms of Kleptomania?
Kleptomania is considered a shameful condition. It is usually kept confidential and a specialist is not consulted for treatment. However, as in many types of diseases, early diagnosis and treatment are very important in kleptomania. If the person is not treated, he may face legal problems in the future. The symptoms of stealing disease can be listed as follows:
- Having a strong desire to steal an object that is not needed, not financially valuable, or even able to buy it, and having difficulty in controlling this desire,
- Feeling tension and anxiety as soon as the person wants to steal,
- The feeling of tension and anxiety is replaced by a feeling of calm, relaxation and satisfaction after the playing process,
- Repetition of the desire to play regularly and this desire The person's inability to resist.
What Causes Kleptomania?
Although the causes of kleptomania are not yet fully understood, it is thought to be associated with some physical and/or psychological diseases. Possible causes of kleptomania can be listed as follows:
- Some chemicals called neurotransmitters provide communication between nerve cells in the brain. Some disorders in these chemicals can cause kleptomania.
- Serotonin is also a type of neurotransmitter. Person diagnosed with kleptomania It has been observed that serotonin levels are quite low in people who are prone to impulse control disorder or in the heart.
- After the stealing process, a chemical called dopamine is released, which arouses emotions such as reward and motivation. Kleptomania patients want to experience this feeling again, and this can create addiction in the person. It is thought that the basis of this situation is the inability of the person to receive enough love and attention from his family during childhood.
- There is a possibility of kleptomania after a brain trauma.
- Having a family history of kleptomania, being in the close circle of a person with obsessive compulsive disorder, being close to someone who is addicted to alcohol or a substance may also increase the risk of kleptomania.
- Some The risk of kleptomania is higher in people with psychological disorders compared to healthy individuals.
How is Kleptomania Treated?
It can create big problems for those around him, both in private and business life. Although the feeling of shame and the fear of receiving psychological support push people to hide the disease, it is extremely important to get help and be treated by a specialist doctor. In untreated cases, kleptomania can continue for life.
The most important step in treatment is to make the correct diagnosis at an early stage, as in every disease. For an early and correct diagnosis, the person should be aware that it is a disease and should shamelessly tell the doctor what he or she has experienced.
The causes of kleptomania have not been fully clarified yet. For this reason, the treatment of stealing does not have a definitive and standard method, but studies on this subject are still ongoing. There is no single type of medication recommended for the treatment of kleptomania worldwide. For this reason, the methods applied for treatment may differ according to the individual. Treatment is basically divided into two as pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy applications. These two types of treatment can also be applied together. The decision of the specialist physician is important here. In kleptomania patients, there is usually a resistance to treatment. e is found. In people who are brought to the hospital by force of their relatives, resistance to treatment is seen more seriously. This adversely affects the treatment process. A person should never be humiliated or humiliated in his immediate environment or social environment. It is recommended by the relatives of the patient to suggest that this is a type of disease and that it can be treated if he wishes. We wish you healthy days.
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