User:Jberrien23/Kleptomania

Kleptomania
Kleptomania is a rare mental health disorder. It occurs when an individual cannot control an urge to steal (Sherrell). Kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. The symptoms of this disorder share commonalities with other mental health disorders, similar to obsessive disorders, addictive disorders, and mood disorders (American Psychiatric Association). This urge to steal is often carried out without reason nor necessity but purely from the temptation to steal. This means the impulse to steal controls the person, allowing them to disregard logic and reason (Tahil). The reason for the categorization of this condition as a mental health disorder is due to how it infringes on the autonomy of the person suffering from the condition. Autonomy is a person’s capacity for self-determination or self-governance (Dryden). The impulse control disorder that is kleptomania infringes on the autonomy of the individual suffering it.

Kleptomania is a mental health disorder, and the treatment necessary to ease its symptoms takes an equally medical approach. Similar to other mental health conditions, Kleptomania can be treated by utilizing a combination of medicinal and therapeutic measures (Mayo Clinic). The utilization of medicinal, psychotherapy, or both have been able to treat kleptomania. Treatment is usually individualized, as different methods and combinations may work for one person but not the other. This means each individual must be assessed before the appropriate treatment is chosen. The specific medications that can be used include Naltrexone, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), and Mood Stabilizers. The psychotherapeutic treatments are usually Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Systematic Desensitization, Aversion Therapy, and Covert Sensitization (Hull). The mental health aspect of kleptomania is not to be ignored, and measures to treat the condition are necessary to halt the occurrences of kleptomaniac symptoms.