Kleptomania
Kleptomania “Kleptomania” is a word that is commonly used by the public to describe people as a joke but is not necessarily a concept that is completely understood by the average American. This disorder is extremely rare but has a very interesting background and treatment.
The most prevalent feature of kleptomania is the impulse to steal things that are not of monetary value or personal meaning to the individual. Before and while stealing, the person may feel intense anticipation and tension, but after committing the act, the individual may feel gratification and relief. It is important to note that the stealing is not done to show anger or retaliation, and also is not done because of a hallucination or delusion. One must realize that kleptomania differs from ordinary acts of shoplifting. Someone who does not have the disorder would commit theft because of the monetary worth of the object (necessity), greed, hostility, out of habit, or because they were dared to do so, not simply because they feel driven to steel. Steeling can also be an automatic habit, like taking glasses, cutlery from a plane or pub or mementos from a hotel etc. However unlike Kleptomania, these cases aren't as obsessive, compulsive, or uncontrollable. The impulse that the Kleptomaniac feels cannot be controlled even though the person realizes that their impulses and behaviors are not logical—the disorder is ego-dystonic. The pleasure that the kleptomaniac feels is strictly a result of the act of stealing, not in the stolen items themselves (APA, 2000).
Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation developed by Clark Hull provides one framework for viewing Kleptomania. According to Hull, motivation arises out of a psychological need. The term “drive,” as conceptualized by Hull, refers to an unpleasant state of tension or arousal caused a not-yet-met psychological need. In order to reduce this state of tension, people seek out ways to fulfill these psychological needs. Much in
The most prevalent feature of kleptomania is the impulse to steal things that are not of monetary value or personal meaning to the individual. Before and while stealing, the person may feel intense anticipation and tension, but after committing the act, the individual may feel gratification and relief. It is important to note that the stealing is not done to show anger or retaliation, and also is not done because of a hallucination or delusion. One must realize that kleptomania differs from ordinary acts of shoplifting. Someone who does not have the disorder would commit theft because of the monetary worth of the object (necessity), greed, hostility, out of habit, or because they were dared to do so, not simply because they feel driven to steel. Steeling can also be an automatic habit, like taking glasses, cutlery from a plane or pub or mementos from a hotel etc. However unlike Kleptomania, these cases aren't as obsessive, compulsive, or uncontrollable. The impulse that the Kleptomaniac feels cannot be controlled even though the person realizes that their impulses and behaviors are not logical—the disorder is ego-dystonic. The pleasure that the kleptomaniac feels is strictly a result of the act of stealing, not in the stolen items themselves (APA, 2000).
Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation developed by Clark Hull provides one framework for viewing Kleptomania. According to Hull, motivation arises out of a psychological need. The term “drive,” as conceptualized by Hull, refers to an unpleasant state of tension or arousal caused a not-yet-met psychological need. In order to reduce this state of tension, people seek out ways to fulfill these psychological needs. Much in