Kleptomania: Understanding the Urge to Steal and the Healing That Follows

Jul 1
3 min read

What is Kleptomania?

Kleptomania is a rare but serious mental health condition characterized by a compulsive urge to steal items that are not needed for personal use or financial gain. It’s not about greed or rebellion — it’s about impulse control.

People with kleptomania often feel intense anxiety before stealing, followed by relief or gratification after the act, and then guilt or shame. Many want to stop but feel powerless to resist the urge. Kleptomania: Understanding the Urge to Steal and the Healing That Follows

Signs & Symptoms

Repeated failure to resist impulses to steal items that are not needed
Tension or anxiety leading up to the theft
Pleasure, relief, or gratification during or right after stealing
Shame, guilt, or depression afterward
Items are often hoarded, given away, or discarded — not used
Theft is usually unplanned and done alone

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria (APA, 2013)

To be diagnosed with Kleptomania, the following criteria must be met:

Recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal objects that are not needed for personal use or monetary value
Increasing sense of tension immediately before the theft
Pleasure, gratification, or relief at the time of committing the theft
The stealing is not committed to express anger or vengeance and is not in response to a delusion or hallucination
The stealing is not better explained by another mental disorder (e.g., Conduct Disorder, a Manic Episode, or Antisocial Personality Disorder)

What Causes Kleptomania?

There is no single cause, but potential contributing factors include:

Brain chemistry: Imbalances in serotonin, dopamine, or opioid systems may impair impulse control
Genetics: It may run in families, especially those with histories of OCD, anxiety, or substance use disorders
Childhood trauma or neglect
Personality traits: Perfectionism, guilt, or suppressed anger
Co-occurring conditions: Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or borderline personality traits

Can Narcissistic Abuse Trigger Kleptomania?

While kleptomania is not directly caused by narcissistic abuse, chronic emotional invalidation, control, gaslighting, and fear-based parenting may create internal chaos, guilt, or unmet emotional needs that could contribute to:

Impulse control problems
Self-sabotaging behaviors
A subconscious way to reclaim control or express suppressed anger

At SEVEE, we’ve seen individuals who lived under covert narcissistic households develop compulsions — including stealing — not for rebellion, but for a sense of release or “feeling something” in emotionally numb environments.

Treatment for Kleptomania

Treatment is possible and effective — especially when done with empathy and confidentiality:

✔️ Evidence-Based Therapies:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): To identify and break the thought-behavior loop
Impulse control training & relapse prevention
Trauma-informed care if abuse or emotional neglect is present
Medication: SSRIs, Naltrexone (for impulse control), or mood stabilizers if co-occurring disorders exist

At SEVEE:

We offer non-judgmental, culturally sensitive therapy for impulse disorders like kleptomania - including for Indians and NRIs who’ve never spoken about it due to shame, fear, or stigma.

Healing Doesn’t Begin With Blame - It Begins With Understanding.

If you or someone you know is struggling with urges to steal - not for gain, but from an inner restlessness or emotional tension - you are not alone. You’re not “bad.” You’re human. And help is available.