Kleptomania

Kleptomania is a mental health condition where a person feels an overpowering, irresistible urge to steal things. People who have this disorder know that stealing is wrong and could get them into trouble, but they can’t stop themselves.

People who have kleptomania don’t steal because of a lack of willpower, self-control or a character flaw. Instead, this is a medical condition where a person doesn’t have the ability to resist the impulse to steal. It’s common for people with kleptomania to feel guilt, shame or stress about stealing. Many try to compensate for this by returning items, donating them to charity, or going back and paying for the items after the fact.

Who does kleptomania affect?

Women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) are three times more likely to have kleptomania than men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB). It can happen to people of almost all ages, with cases diagnosed as young as age 4 and as old as age 77.

How common is this condition?

Kleptomania is uncommon. Experts estimate that it affects between 0.3% and 0.6% of the U.S. population. People with kleptomania make up between 4% and 5% of people arrested for shoplifting.

How does kleptomania affect my body?

Your brain is like an incredibly complex computer, with an intricate network of connections between your brain’s different regions. Those connections make circuits, which your brain uses to help you form thoughts and turn those thoughts into actions. Each time you learn something new, your brain makes a new circuit.

When you learn not to do something, your brain creates a circuit that inhibits what you learned not to do. Inhibitions are very important to your survival and well-being. They’re also helpful in social situations, keeping you from doing or saying things that you know other people would find unacceptable.

People who have kleptomania know that stealing is wrong and that they shouldn’t do it. Despite knowing that, they can’t help themselves. For them, inhibition doesn’t work as it should. They also don’t feel deterred by the consequences of stealing, such as arrest or jail time.