Not only is kleptomania largely misunderstood in society writ large, but sufferers of the disorder are also often silenced in fear of the stigma that is attached to it. Many people fail to recognise that those who are diagnosed as kleptomaniacs do not steal for personal or financial gain, rather they have an irresistible impulse to steal - and this is something which tends to stem from a previous emotional disturbance.
Popular culture, in particular, has a very two-dimensional perception of thieves and often tend to view them as "greedy"or "shallow", failing to realise that kleptomania is a serious impulse control disorder. So, in a quest to understand more about this rather mysterious disease, we heard from 14 real-life kleptomaniacs about what it's really like to live with this kind of problem...
1. This woman describes feeling "out of control"
2. This must be so awkward
3. Some describe it as a "thrill"
4. Sometimes kleptomaniacs alienate their friends
5. After a while, you can get really good at it
6. But it can destroy relationships
7. This person "wants help" but believes that "nothing works"
8. Some use petty reasoning to make themselves feel better about it all
9. Others find shoplifting borderline erotic
10. You don't need a reason to become a kleptomaniac
11. At least this person is getting help...
12. The double whammy
13. It can be an unconscious problem, too
14. It all makes sense...
Hopefully that provided some insight for those of us who know very little about the psychological disorder. In other news,
a new study claims that magic mushrooms can "reboot" the brains of depressed people...
