Psychology of Kleptomania

To begin with, it is important to preface the true meaning of Kleptomania and its psychological aspects. Kleptomania comes from the Greek kleptein, “to steal” and mania, and is usually described as a condition of not being able to resist the urge to steal. However, we are not talking about planned thefts, confirmed by people who seek to posses the stolen object due to its value or steal out of anger or vengeance. It is the process itself, the tension preceding the unplanned theft and a relief at the time of the theft – that is the main temptation for people with Kleptomania. Therefore kleptomania is regarded as psychological disorder, specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder, since it usually similar to excessive, unnecessary and unwanted actions.

Furthermore, the treatment for kleptomania can also be psychological.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is frequently recommended as an additional method of treatment along with medication. After the treatment people feel less urge to steal and a reduced intensity of stealing thoughts and stealing behavior can be observed.

All in all, kleptomania cannot be simply defined as an act of stealing for the pleasure of stealing itself. It is a serious psychological disorder and even though there are some uncertainties about its classification into one group or another, there are special treatments, which help people to cope with it.


References:
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761556858/kleptomania.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptomania

Picture from: http://www.faqs.org/health/images/uchr_05_img0536.jpg [2008-11-27]