If caught in it's early stages the treatment of this disease amounts to no more than a slap on the wrist ,a small fine ,or a suspended jail sentence. However in the more exteme and advanced stages the repecussions can be very serious indeed, ranging from ,a feeling of being pursued and hounded by men in uniforms ,spending months on end in one of her majesties holiday camps or even being battered when you unexpectedly find yourself and Duncan Ferguson in the same house (His !) .
How do we recognise Kleptomania within ourselves ? Well the prime symtoms are as follows.
Recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal objects that are not needed for personal use or for their monetary value.
Increasing sense of tension immediately prior to commiting the theft.
Pleasure ,gratification or relief whilst commiting the theft .
It is worth noting at this point that the stealing is not commited to express anger or vengeance and is not a response to a delusion or a hallucination so don't try either of those defences in court .
For those of you that now recognise you may indeed be suffering from Kleptomania ,all is not lost . Researchers at a medical center in the united states are starting the first placebo controlled trial of a drug to treat Kleptomania.Anyone who is aged 20 or over and suspects the may have been suffering fom Kleptomania for over a year can volunteer to participate in these trials by calling the Study Office (725 5180) Stamford University ,California.
ps I stole bits of this post from the net
Guess I'm incurable
