Can’t Stop Stealing Things: Kleptomania and Impulse Control Disorders

Reader’s Question

I am suffering from a problem I will call a “bad habit.” Whenever I go to a shopping mall, I try to steal something. I have actually stolen some things. I know this is wrong, but I cannot seem to control myself. It’s a real problem, and I don’t like it. So please tell me how can I control this type of behavior.

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Mental health professionals use the term “impulse control disorder” to describe a person’s inability to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation to engage in a particular act. Generally speaking, when a person has an impulse control problem, they experience an increasing sense of tension or arousal before committing the problem act and experience some temporary relief from that tension after committing the act. But it’s also not uncommon to engage in a fair degree of regret and self-reproach and to feel shameful or guilty after experiencing initial relief.

There are many types of impulse control disorders. “Kleptomania” is the term given to the recurring failure to resist urges to steal. Often, the items stolen are not really needed as personal necessities. Also, the items are not usually taken for their monetary value.

Treatment is available for individuals who want to gain better control over such impulses. Sometimes the treatment involves medication that improves impulse control, and sometimes the treatment involves cognitive-behavioral therapy. Most often, a combination of approaches is used.

The important thing to remember is that you can gain a renewed sense of mastery over your impulses by seeking out appropriate treatment and remaining faithful to your treatment regimen. In time, you’ll not only feel good about yourself again but will regain a sense of self-control that no doubt has been lacking lately.