Kleptomania Essay

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Kleptomania Abstract Kleptomania is a mental disorder under the category of impulse control disorders. People with kleptomania are called kleptomaniacs and they cannot resist the urge to steal. They do not gain anything from the act but the tension that builds inside of them from the urge to steal is released and that is enough. After the kleptomaniac shoplifts he or she often feels embarrassed, anxious, ashamed, and/ or guilty. Kleptomaniacs hoard, give away, dispose of, or return the stolen items because the items have little to no value to the person who stole them. Scientists are working on a cure for kleptomania but have yet to find a decent amount of trail participants due to the anonymity of most kleptomaniacs. There are a few different CBTs for kleptomania but they don’t always work. Kleptomania Amateur shoplifters in the U.S. cost retailers several billion dollars a year and if you add in the damage from professional thieves, we’re looking at approximately ten billion dollars a year in lost merchandise. Some steal for resale purposes. Others steal for personal gain. But when you feel a compulsive need to steal for a completely different reason, you might be addicted to the rush. Kleptomaniacs are people who are addicted to shoplifting. They can’t help themselves. Kleptomania was first considered a psychological disorder in the early 1800’s, but since the 50’s has regularly been considered a type of mental illness by the American Psychiatric Article System Association. That’s because there is such a fine line between shoplifting and kleptomania. Shoplifting is not necessarily kleptomania, but kleptomania is shoplifting. Psychiatrists have an ongoing debate over whether kleptomania is a mental illness in of itself or if the shoplifting is a symptom of another psychological disorder. Kleptomania has been researched very little in comparison
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