How to Diagnose Kleptomania

Co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS

Last Updated: July 22, 2022 References

If you know someone who struggles with an uncontrollable urge to steal, they may have kleptomania. Our guide will help you understand more about this disorder, including understanding the risk factors and what you can do to help.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Identifying Symptoms

1
Look for episodes of theft. The main feature of kleptomania is theft, but it is very different from shoplifting. People who have kleptomania have recurrent urges to steal things and trouble resisting this urge. Since the disorder is considered one of impulse control, they don’t steal for personal gain or from peer pressure but because the impulse to do so is so strong.^{[1]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- People who have kleptomania tend to steal things that they can afford and that have little or no apparent value to them. Often they do not use the items and end up hiding them, giving them away, or donating them. Sometimes a person who has kleptomania will even secretly return stolen items.
- People who have kleptomania also do not steal because of hallucinations or delusions or out of anger or revenge. To an outsider, the act seems spontaneous and random.
2
Note any impulsiveness. If the main feature of kleptomania is theft, one of the main features of the stealing itself is randomness. People who have kleptomania tend not to plan thefts. They usually act spontaneously and with no other motivation than satisfying the urge to steal, i.e. not for personal gain, social standing, or because of another issue.^{[3]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}^{[4]
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- Does the person you know steal from stores, supermarkets, and other public places? This is usually how people who have kleptomania work. More rarely, some also steal from relatives and close friends.
- Does the person you know plan thefts in advance? A person who has kleptomania usually doesn’t plan to steal. The thefts are spur-of-the-moment and not done with prior planning or with help from another person.
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3
Watch for a cycle of emotions. People who have kleptomania go through a cycle of stealing as well as cycles of emotion. The impulse to steal usually comes with a heightened feeling of tension, anxiety, or arousal before the act, while afterward the person may be ashamed or disgusted with themselves. Kleptomania is so hard to understand because happens on impulse – the urge to steal overwhelms the person.^{[5]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source}
- People who have kleptomania describe their urge to steal as wrong, out of character, or uncontrollable. Many also report problems at work or with relationships, being so preoccupied with urges to steal that they find it hard to concentrate at work or at home.
- In the time leading up to and during a theft, a person who has kleptomania may feel pleasure, excitement, or relief. After, however, many report guilt, remorse, and shame and have a fear of being arrested. Eventually, the cycle will repeat itself and the sufferer will again feel an impulse to steal.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Noting Other Risk Factors

1
Consider family history. Kleptomania is pretty uncommon and doctors still don’t know that much about it. However, we do know that there are certain risk factors. This means that, if you have one of these factors, you may be more likely to develop kleptomania. One of these is a past family history of kleptomania, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or alcohol or other substance abuse problems.^{[7]
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- Having a family history means that one of your relatives in the first degree had the problem, i.e. someone in your immediate family like a mother, father, brother, or sister.
- If undiagnosed, it may be hard to determine whether a family member has kleptomania. People who have kleptomania rarely seek treatment and may end up in and out of jail. Their families may assume that they are criminals rather than people with a mental disorder.
2
Know that people who have kleptomania are usually women. While not all, about two in three people who have kleptomania are female. Doctors don’t know why this is the case and it may be that the true percentages are different. Still, there seem to be notable differences in the way that the disorder appears in women as opposed to men.^{[8]
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PubMed Central
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- Men with kleptomania seem more likely to have a history of birth trauma and are less likely to suffer from other mental issues like eating disorders or bipolar disorder.
- Some people have suggested that these differences are exaggerated, though, and that the percentage of men who have kleptomania is higher. The difference may be that men are more likely to be sent to prison and less likely to be referred to treatment.
3
Note the presence of other mental health issues. A number of other issues are also risk factors for kleptomania, or at least seem to appear in higher rates in people who have kleptomania. These may be mental disorders – like bipolar or personality disorders – or the result of brain trauma and altered brain chemistry.^{[10]
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PubMed Central
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Go to source}^{[11]
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PubMed Central
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- Kleptomania as a disorder seems associated with mood and anxiety disorders, meaning it appears at higher rates in people with issues like major depression, bipolar disorder, mania, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Kleptomania is also associated with addictive behavior and substance abuse, like being addicted to alcohol, drugs, or nicotine, and appears more frequently in people with impulse control problems. The latter often occurs in people with head injuries or brain trauma.
- Kleptomania may occur along with (or lead to) other mental problems like depression, compulsive gambling or shopping, anxiety, and eating disorders.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting a Diagnosis and Treatment

1
Talk to a doctor. People who have kleptomania face a hard reality. They have to deal with the anguish of their disorder but also the very real possibility of being arrested and jailed. They should talk to a doctor if they can’t stop shoplifting. Most people who have kleptomania don’t seek treatment because they are afraid of being turned in, but the truth is that health care professionals usually do not report thefts to the authorities.^{[12]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source}
- Talk to a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist for help and advice. Or, discuss the problem with a general practitioner and ask for help or a referral.
- If the person is a loved one, encourage him or her to get help. Explain that you are concerned for the loved one’s well-being and that there are effective ways to treat kleptomania. Be clear that you understand they cannot resist through willpower alone.
2
Expect a range of questions. There are no tests like X-rays or bloodwork to diagnose kleptomania. Doctors will instead do a complete examination of the patient’s medical and personal history, though tests may be involved to rule out certain physical causes like brain injury. Instead, expect a range of questions about family and personal history, behavior, and other medical conditions.^{[13]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- The doctor may ask about what sort of situations trigger episodes or review a list of situations to see whether they lead to an impulse to steal.
- The doctor may also ask about the impulses themselves and how they make the patient feel. There might be more detailed psychological questionnaires, too.
3
Assess according to the DSM-5. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, lists kleptomania as an impulse control disorder with a number of specific criteria. To diagnose kleptomania, a person will need to display these criteria to the exclusion of other possible causes. Officially, at least, these criteria are what will decide whether a person can be diagnosed with kleptomania.^{[15]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} People who have kleptomania will have engaged in a pattern of stealing behaviors for a few months or even several years.^{[17]
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- The person has a “recurrent” inability to resist the urge to steal things, which aren’t needed for personal use or for monetary gain.
- The same person experiences feelings of increasing tension immediately before a theft. They also feel pleasure, gratification, or relief after the theft.
- The person doesn’t steal for revenge or out of anger or as a result of a hallucination or delusion.
- Finally, the behavior can’t be explained by some other mental condition like a conduct disorder, manic episode, or an antisocial personality disorder.
4
Keep in mind that diagnosing kleptomania can be complicated. The condition may present along with other conditions, such as ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder, or alcoholism, so it may not be the first diagnosis that someone receives.^{[18]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Try to be patient as you seek help for a loved one with kleptomania.
- If you think you may have kleptomania, then share your suspicions with your doctor and/or therapist.