Kleptomania

Everyone knows this definition but not everybody can say a clearly description. This definition is met in all dictionaries from medical to psychology.
Definition: kleptomania is an impulse control disorder characterized by a recurrent failure to resist stealing. It is often seen in patients who are chemically dependent or who have a coexisting mood, anxiety, or eating disorder. Other coexisting mental disorders may include major depression, panic attacks, social phobia, anorexia nervosa, bulimianervosa, substance abuse, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. People with the disorder are often called kleptos. Kleptos do not generally steal things of value. This disorder usually begins during puberty and usually lasts until late adulthood. In some cases, the disorder may never stop and lasts throughout the person's life. Studies suggest that 0.6% of the general population may have this disorder and that it is more common in females. Kleptomania was first officially recognized in the US as a mental disorder in the 1960s in the case of the state of California v. Douglas Jones.
Causes: the cause of kleptomania is unknown, although it may have a genetic component and may be transmitted among first-degree relatives. There also seems to be a strong propensity for kleptomania to coexist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, and clinical depression. Some research evidence suggests that kleptomania may be linked to problems with a naturally occurring brain chemical called serotonin.
Symptoms: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as used by a majority of professionals, now in its 4th edition, has a five point criterium for diagnosing kleptomania:
• Repeated theft of objects that are unnecessary for either personal use or monetary value.
• Increasing tension immediately before the theft.
• Pleasure or relief upon committing the theft.
• The theft is not motivated by anger or vengeance, and is not caused by a delusion or hallucination.
• The behavior is not better accounted for by a conduct disorder, manic episode, or antisocial personality disorder.
Treatment: Kleptomania has several different treatments. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is recommended as an adjuvant to medication. Some medications that are used for people diagnosed with kleptomania are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mood stabilizers and opioid antagonists. The only open-trial of medication for kleptomania showed naltrexone significantly reduced the intensity of urges to steal, stealing thoughts and stealing behavior. A similar three year follow-up of patients treated only with naltrexone showed a clinically significant reduction in kleptomanic behavior.
References: Laith Farid Gulli http://www.minddisorders.com/Kau-Nu/Kleptomania.html (2008-12-01)