kleptomania /-mā″nē·ə/ [Gk, kleptein, to steal, mania, madness] , a symptom of an impulse control disorder characterized by an abnormal, uncontrollable, and recurrent urge to steal. The objects are taken not for their monetary value, immediate need, or utility but because of a symbolic meaning usually associated with some unconscious emotional conflict; they are usually given away, returned surreptitiously, or kept and hidden. People who have the condition experience an increased sense of tension before committing the theft and intense gratification during the act. Afterward they display signs of depression, guilt, and anxiety over the possibility of being apprehended and losing status in society. In less severe cases the impulse is expressed by continuously borrowing objects and not returning them. Treatment consists of psychotherapy to uncover the underlying emotional problems. See also impulse control disorder. −kleptomaniac, n.
