Kleptomania

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  Kleptomania - is a disorder characterized by disability to resist the urge to steal. It is still unknown what causes this disorder, although there are some views about genetical influence. Studies shows that about 60% of population could have this disorder and it is more common in females.
  
  It is difficult to diagnose kleptomania if patients don't seek medical help for this disorder. Usually this disorder is diagnosed when patients seek help for another reason, such as depression, panic attack, eating disorder (bulimia, anorexia), for feeling emotionally unstable. The highest correlation it is between kleptomania and bulimia. This means that bulimic people usually are also kleptomaniac. People with this disorders steal in order to get a thrill. Sometimes these stealing acts could be restricted to special objects, but usually people can't explain the motives of their actions.
  
  The main symptoms of kleptomania (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007):
• Powerful urges to steal things that you don't need;
• Feeling increased tension leading up to the theft;
• Feeling pleasure or gratification while stealing;
• Feeling terrible guilt or shame after the theft.

Differently from typical shoplifters, kleptomaniacs steal not for their personal needs or personal gain. They just steal because of the unacountable urge. People with kleptomania steal spontaneously, without thinking or planning. They steal from friends, supermarkets or other public places, usually worthless things which they don't need.
Kleptomania could be treated by using psychotherapies such as cognitive-behavioral and rational emotive therapy, but a treatment takes a lot of efforts.
To sum up, kleptomania is a very difficult disorder which can caused low self- esteem, permanent feelings of guilt, shame and powerless to change something. Also it can damage the relationships with other people, because they won‘t trust you anymore. But we should believe that new medical and psychological knowledge help us to treat this disoreder.