5 myths about kleptomania

The media, cinema and misinformation that circulates by word of mouth have caused various myths about kleptomania to settle in the collective unconscious. In fact, it is not strange to call all people who steal “kleptomaniacs”.

According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V) Kleptomania belongs to the group of disruptive disorders of impulse control and behavior.. In this case, the impulse that must be dealt with is the temptation to appropriate or take possession of someone else’s property.

The kleptomaniac person responds to an inner impulse that makes them appropriate any object. If it were a common thief, he would steal knowing what he is doing, with conviction, and choosing the element that he wants to take possession of. For example, looking for objects of great value. This is an example of how wrong we are about kleptomania and that is why we have decided to make an article to dismantle all the myths that surround it.

1. Kleptomaniacs feel pleasure when they steal, that’s why they do it

While the common thief feels how adrenaline fills his body with euphoria before seizing the object of his desire, The person who suffers from kleptomania experiences a series of negative emotions that cause a certain tension that goes in crescendo. This tension is only relieved when he seizes an object, although what he subsequently feels is not pleasure, but guilt.

For a thief, getting the object he wanted is a state of euphoria and happiness, but not for the kleptomaniac, he alone takes over the object to alleviate the feelings of anxiety that affect it and who does not know how to manage in any other way. The same occurs with other disorders that fall within this impulse control group, such as pyromania or trichotillomania.

2. You have to be very careful, kleptomaniacs steal all the time

The second of the myths would affirm that a kleptomaniac always steals. However, this is not the case and will depend a lot on the type of disorder you have, as there are up to 3 types of kleptomaniacs:

Sporadic: the robberies occur at a great distance from each other, it is not an action that is carried out very frequently, but rather one that lasts over time.Episodic: thefts occur with a certain frequency in certain periods of time, but they alternate with others where no theft occurs.Chronics: It is the highest degree that this disorder can reach and limits the life of those who suffer from it to the point that it interferes with their daily activities. The theft is continuous and uncontrollable.

As we have seen, not all people with kleptomania steal constantly, in fact, they only do it when anxiety invades them, not because they have the opportunity to do so. For this reason, treatments always focus on eliminating or alleviating those symptoms that drive them to commit the act that kleptomaniacs later feel guilty about. Until now, behavioral therapy has shown great effectiveness in treating these cases.

3. Kleptomaniacs are capable of controlling themselves, but they do not want to

This is one of the myths about kleptomania that contains the biggest error, especially because of what it implies. As we have seen so far, Kleptomaniacs do not feel pleasure nor do they appropriate other people’s things out of interest or for any purpose of enriching themselves.but rather they have the sole objective of fleeing from the anxiety and tension that invades them.

They are not aware of what drives them to commit that act, they only know that there is an emotion that makes them feel bad and that to relieve it, in some way, they need to steal something. But, kleptomaniacs know that what they do is wrong, they just can’t help it. This reality has caused professionals to debate whether or not to include this disorder within obsessive-compulsive disorders.

4. The kleptomaniac person becomes a professional thief

Nothing is further from reality. Kleptomaniacs do not plan their robberiesNor do they do it with a purpose, as we have already mentioned, but rather their actions respond to an impulse that is born within them and that they are not able to stop.

Believing that a kleptomaniac person can become a professional thief is implying that their desire to steal is increasing or that they are stealing more and more things. But, this is a mistake. This disorder depends a lot on its degree, as we have already seen, and is not an aspiration, but a mental illness that causes a lot of suffering for those who suffer from it.

Assuming that someone can take advantage of something that is causing them enormous emotional pain is anything but a reasonable thought. The kleptomaniac person suffers a lot more than what at first glance may seem and we can intuit.

5. Kleptomaniacs are incapable of taking care of themselves, they are crazy

The fifth and last of the myths about kleptomania refers to that tendency to call “madness” everything that is not understood and that is considered negative. However, although chronic kleptomaniacs may have their daily lives affected, the truth is that the rest can lead a completely normal life. They are usually intelligent people and know how to hide it very well.

This disorder does not prevent them from thinking clearly nor does it make them dangerous people who will try to steal at any cost.. Kleptomaniacs are aware that what they do causes them great discomfort, but they cannot help it.

A useful example to understand this better is found in people who suffer from binge eating disorder. Binge eating does not make you feel better after eating. Furthermore, they are aware of it, but they cannot avoid it. They just need help and proper treatment.

What happens after the robbery committed by the person with kleptomania? The object is abandoned, accumulated with others or forgotten. The purpose is not the object, but the momentary feeling of relief caused by getting it.

However, Then a great feeling of guilt and even shame arises: one of the factors that prevent people who suffer from this disorder from asking for help. Let’s keep these myths about kleptomania in mind. Not all thieves are kleptomaniacs, nor are all kleptomaniacs thieves. In any case, we always talk about a disease in which the first victim is the one who suffers from it.

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