Maybe you’ve known somebody like this...I have...a kleptomaniac...a kleptomaniac or someone who suffers from kleptomania is a person who is unable to stop themselves from having the urge to steal items...usually from a store for example, although some kleptomaniacs steal personal items from people too...it is often done for reasons other than personal use or financial gain...in psychiatric circles, it is often classified as an impulse control disorder...some say it falls under the realm of obsessive-compulsive disorders...those who are experts in such matters say that there is a difference between standard theft and kleptomania...regular theft is done deliberately and is motivated by by the value of the object, or its usefulness is to the thief..., kleptomania however is prompted by the failure to resist impulses to steal even if the item is not needed or wanted for personal use, or even if it is of little or no value... it is said that some kleptomaniacs are racked with remorse and grief after they act upon their impulses and steal...others are not...in the case I’m familiar with, the girl had absolutely no grief or remorse about it...it was all about thrills and getting away with it...that is until the time she didn’t...but that’s another story...sometimes other mental disorders are present in the kleptomaniac...other times, not...even though it is a familiar issue, the afflicted are still made to suffer the consequences of the law when caught and are not given a ‘free pass’ because of their ‘illness.’
