Are there any connections between kleptomania and addiction? A Case Report

Abstract

Kleptomania is defined as the inability to prevent stealing the objects in a repetitive manner, irrespective of the monatery value or need. Kleptomania has been classified as impulse control disorder in DSM 5. Research on kleptomania reveals that it appears to be a lack of resistance to desire for stealing, but the cause of kleptomania have not been fully eludicated. From a clinical point of view, it is often stated that spontaneous and sudden appearance of kleptomanic behavior has been observed, although a small part of the behaviour has already been planned. On the other hand it has been shown that it can also occur after an event which causes anger or stress factors. Kleptomanic behavioral attacks often occur in the community, in stores, in supermarkets, and in malls. Stolen objects are generally worthless objects from an economical point of view. Differential diagnosis of kleptomania should be made from theft, acute mania, alcohol-substance intoxication, antisocial personality disorder and obsessive - compulsive disorder. Selective serotonine reuptake inhibitors have been preferred in the treatment. On the other hand, the possible association of kleptomania with the addiction spectrum has prompted opioid antagonists as a treatment option. There are case reports and a controlled trial showing that opioid antagonists are effective in adults and adolescents with kleptomania. In this open-label study has been reported to naltrexon have been received for 12 weeks and efficience had been reported. In this case report, the evaluation of kleptomani as a behavioral dependency has been made after the development of kleptomanic behaviors in the early remission period of the patient diagnosed with alcohol dependency.