Kleptomaniac Confessions

Ever felt urged to steal a piece of bubblegum from the grocery store and given in? Then you are likely training to become either a kleptomaniac or an addictive compulsive thief. Do not despair ? you're not alone. Not a threat. And there is a way out.

True kleptomania is by standard practitioners of psychology viewed as a very rare condition. Lay people often confuse it with recurrent failure to resist obsessive, addictive, or compulsive thoughts or urges to steal objects which they often will use. Kleptomaniacs will steal without ever needing the things they steal. They do not feel anger, but they also don't premeditate their actions. On the other hand, compulsive thievery is inspired by anger and there's also a degree of premeditation involved, because often the items stolen will come in handy for the thief.

The ways in which psychologists cure these diseases is by attempting to find out what is the motivating factor for the person involved and address it. Honest people steal, they say. Not only through shoplifting but also through embezzlement and fraud.

"A kleptomaniac is someone who steals a lot but not particularly for monetary gain", says Terry Shulman who is a self confessed ex-shoplifter. He says that most people that shoplift in any compulsive manner are really crying out for help. His own story shows that it is quite possible for people to overcome the habit, once a person understands the often complex causes. Where it gets tricky is where stealing has become an addiction. People who get hooked on shoplifting need specialized treatment.

However, owing up to the ugly truth and seeking help is already overcoming the biggest hurdle before someone will be able to stop the habit. Many shoplifters that contacted Shulman after he published his book and was interviewed on Oprah told him afterwards that they had been at the end of their ideas of how to tackle the problem. Shulman refuses vigorously to believe people that steal are bad, inhumane or evil. He condemns the crime but not the person committing it and says that stealing is symptomatic of something else in most of the cases. This is also the view of Will Cupchik, an psycho analyst who's authored a book outlining a method to treat honest and otherwise normal people with a compulsive shoplift problem. Claiming that he's found the pattern of behavior of 'Atypical Theft Offenders', Cupchik provides interesting insights into the minds of shoplifters. He offers treatment courses with certified diplomas for people who've kicked the habit for good.

Both Cupchik and Shulman cite cases of high profile offenders that have lost their jobs for getting caught shoplifting and go on to analyse the events that are elemental to the habits. It appears that the factors that motivate people to steal items are largely similar in nature.

"[My story is not] intended to make excuses for stealing or shoplifting. I'm not suggesting shoplifting addicts go unpunished. Any illegal act, be it illegal gambling, drug offenses, or drunk driving, must have legal consequences", he says. After his book was published a string of self help groups throughout the country was set up by people facing this problem. The first such a group was his home state Detroit, where he in 1992 set up Cleptomaniacs And Shoplifters Anonymous (CASA) because he wanted to provide a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space for compassion, understanding and recovery from "addictive-compulsive" dishonest behavior, primarily shoplifting, fraud, kleptomania and embezzlement.

"Our stories illustrate how good but vulnerable people try to cope with life at pivotal times and how punishment is not enough to stop shoplifters. [They] go more in depth than previous stories in the scant literature available on shoplifting or kleptomania. I hope this will provide clarity and hope for those who have little of either," Shulman says. His website shopliftersanonymous.com cites figures that show just how endemic the situation is and what bearings it has on the economy. Shopping proletariat style does actually run into quite hefty sums in terms of dollar value. Retailers lose some USD25 million a day alone due to shoplifting. This is the largest 'target area' for the shoplifters; some 69% of them steal in department stores; 63% steals in supermarkets; 57% specialty shops; 54% convenience stores; 47% drug stores and 27% all other type stores.

And, interestingly, shoplifting is about the only area of crime that women get involved in on a par with men; the split is 50%-50%. It seems that this also is something people don't easily give up on, because the large majority of culprits ? 75% - is of adult age.

Many people that steal in some way or other will have less difficulty moving to different crimes. According to a study by Ernst & Young LLP and Ipsos-Reid in 2002, businesses can lose 20 percent of every dollar earned. "[When you] can justify one type of fraud [you] can justify another," said George P. Farragher, an accountant and certified public fraud examiner at Ernst & Young's Cleveland office commenting on his firm's findings.

Twenty percent of the employees cited in that study said they were aware of fraud at their companies and the most common form was expense account fraud. Of the 20 percent of the people in the know, 37 percent even knew about theft of office items. What's perhaps even worse; 16 percent knew employees who claimed extra hours worked and 7 percent said they knew people who inflated their expense accounts!

Angelique van Engelen is a freelance writer who works and lives in Amsterdam. She creates tailormade, keyword rich content, articles, news, features about arts, society and culture. Contact her on http://www.contentclix.com

---

The Offspring of Aeolus - On the Incest Taboo

Incest is not such a clear-cut matter as it has... Read More

Animal to Animal Telepathy

There has been much study on Telepathy in the animal... Read More

The Iron Mask - The Common Sources of Personality Disorders

Do all personality disorders have a common psychodynamic source?To what... Read More

Split Personality - A Myth or a Reality?

IntroductionIn this world today, there are a lot of unbelievable... Read More

Is China Testing Bio Weapons on Its Own People?

Well the conspiracy theorists are out in full force I... Read More

I?m Sorry! Blame-Game or Accountability?

A powerful tool for health as we approach the new... Read More

The Myth of Mental Illness

"You can know the name of a bird in all... Read More

Precognition or Circadian Rhythm?

The bodies natural clock or circadian rhythm seems to have... Read More

The Cultural Narcissist - Lasch In An Age Of Diminishing Expectations

"The new narcissist is haunted not by guilt but by... Read More

No Picnic In Sight

Upon being diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I saw the reality... Read More

Anti-Social Behaviors and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Anti-social behaviors are common with ADHD individuals. About 60% of... Read More

Waking Up in the Middle of a Good Dream

When the brain is asleep and in REM dream mode... Read More

What is the Addictions Recovery Measurement System?

As I climbed 15-feet on a wooden ladder to the... Read More

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is Not Related to I.Q.

It's important to know that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and... Read More

Ericksons Theory of Human Development

I'm sure you've heard the term "Identity Crisis" before. It's... Read More

Insighting Human Behavior thru Gravity Wave Simulations of the Moon

Every police officer will tell you that when there is... Read More

Biometrics

ABSTRACTBiometric identification refers to identifying an individual based on his/her... Read More

You, I and We

Our life in society hovers around the concept of 'You?I?... Read More

Why Does It Seem That There Are More Children With ADHD Than Ever Before?

Even though the percentage of people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity... Read More

A Case for Multiple Intelligences Based Classroom Instruction

Although many high school age students tend to think and... Read More

A Jungian Approach to Mental Illness

All of us suffer from some form of emotional distress... Read More

What are the 4 Brainwave Patterns and How Do They Effect Your Health

WHAT ARE BRAINWAVES?Every moment of your life your brain is... Read More

The Attention Spanner

After a long and patient wait in queue, you reached... Read More

Short Story: The Next Level of Humanity

"Hey Mac, have you ever been thinking of someone and... Read More

Time Out of Mind

Let us first consider the role of time in our... Read More

Synchronized Swimming Advantage for Twins

The Olympic Contests for Synchronized Swimming are a testament to... Read More

On Empathy

The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1999 edition) defines empathy as:"The ability to... Read More

We are in the End Days; Oh, Really Now?

Some think the world is coming to an end, they... Read More

Are All Dementias Alzheimer?s?

I'm surprised when some patients and caregivers confuse dementia and... Read More

Subconscious Drives Make You Unhappy

Feelings and emotions are nerve impulses.The feel of paper and... Read More

On Dis-ease

We are all terminally ill. It is a matter of... Read More

Solution Focus Process: Solution Talk vs. Problem Talk Pt 2

It is crucial that interviewing with helpee progress toward solutions.... Read More

Christian Psychotherapy for Convicts?

Repeated research studies have revealed that secular efforts at rehabilitation... Read More