Introduction 

Do you know stealing can be a mental health disorder relative to personality traits? 

Kleptomania is a complex mental health condition involving the involuntary, irresistible urge to steal, despite being unnecessary for personal use or monetary value. Unlike typical theft, kleptomania is driven by internal tension and emotional relief rather than financial gain or hostility. Classified as an impulse control disorder, whilst sharing characteristics like emotional instability and impulsivity with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). This article is going to walk you through the sophisticated connections between kleptomania and borderline or antisocial personality traits. Hence, to improve understanding and awareness, for less stigma by the time searching for effective diagnosis and treatment to offer hope for individuals struggling with these intertwined challenges. 

What is kleptomania? 

Kleptomania is a rare but severe mental health disorder, characterised by an uncontrollable urge to steal, neither for personal use or for financial gain. Unlike ordinary thefts that are motivated by external rewards, kleptomania is impulsive, driven by internal emotional and psychological forces. While individuals often face mounting tension and anxiety beforehand, followed by a sense of relief, pleasure, gratification, or emotional release. It is often associated with guilt, shame, or remorse after the act.. 

As the items stolen are usually of little monetary value, they are often discarded, given away, hoarded, or secretly returned. It is neither explained by anger, delusions, or hallucinations, nor better justified by antisocial behaviours, conduct disorder, or manic episodes. 

While kleptomania is uncommon, affecting less than 1% of the population, it is often underreported due to stigma or legal concerns. It typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood, three times more prevalent in females than in males. 

Despite being rare, kleptomania can significantly hinder one’s life, stemming from its legal problems, strained relationships, job loss, shame and low self-esteem. It is also often accompanied by other psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and certain personality disorders.¹

What are borderline and antisocial personality disorders? 

Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterised by intense mood fluctuations, impulsive behaviours, and unstable relationships. With a deep fear of abandonment, individuals with BPD tend to avoid any real or imagined rejection at all costs.

This interpersonal stress may result in dramatic self-image and emotional changes in a short period of time, furthering tension to relationships. 

Another hallmark feature of BPD is impulsivity, manifested in various ways like reckless spending, risky sexual behaviours, substance abuse, or binge eating, which may also occasionally extend to compulsive stealing.. 

Furthermore, emotional dysregulation that challenges BPD individuals in managing intense emotions could further compound the difficulties faced by the population, resulting in chronic feelings of emptiness, intense anger, or even dissociation, potentially triggering impulsive acts of stealing.¹ 

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a chronic mental health condition of behaving harmfully without remorse. While a person with ASPD would be manipulative, deceitful, exploitative, or take advantage of others, regardless of others’ rights, social norms, or even the law. Despite repetitive lies, impulsive acts, or aggressive tendencies, their lack of guilt, remorse for their actions and the potential harm to others is also a key feature. 

People with ASPD may struggle with interpersonal relationships, job, or responsibility maintenance, and blaming others for their problems. Risky behaviours and impulsivity are also common for theft or other criminal activity. While kleptomania is an internal compulsion to steal without harm, ASPD-related stealing is typically more calculated and goal-driven.¹ 

Co-occurrence of kleptomania 

Kleptomania often coexists with other mental health conditions, including personality disorders like BPD and ASPD. Although these conditions are distinct, impulsivity is the shared feature among the three, contributing to their overlapping behaviours, including compulsive stealing. 

While emotional dysregulation and a heightened sensitivity to rejection can result in impulsive actions that aim to relieve internal distress among BPD individuals. Stealing may occur as a way of managing the intense emotions, escaping from emptiness, or gaining a fleeting sense of control temporarily. Thereby, kleptomania may serve as an emotional outlet rather than a premeditated act.²

Regarding ASPD, alternatively, the overlap with kleptomania tends to originate from a general disregard of social norms and impulsivity. While the stealing behaviours in ASPD are more often deliberate, manipulative, or goal-oriented, instead of being driven by inner tension or for emotional relief. The differences in intention is the diagnostic key in differentiating between the two conditions. 

It is proven that those with kleptomania are more likely to have or develop comorbid personality disorders, particularly for those with significant impulsivity and behavioural dysregulation.3 As symptoms are often blurred together, the diagnostic process can be challenging. With individuals underreporting or unaware of their internal motivations and struggles, the risk of misdiagnosis or the possibility of missing kleptomania is increased.  

Impact on individuals 

The comorbidity of kleptomania with BPD or ASPD can significantly hinder one’s life emotionally, socially, and even in legal circumstances. While many individuals with kleptomania may feel deeply ashamed, guilty, and confused about their behaviour, particularly when their actions harm relationships or induce repeated legal consequences. The co-occurrence with BPD and ASPD can intensify the emotional toll, making individuals struggle even more with the maintenance of stable jobs, long-term relationships, and even a consistent self-image, feeling trapped in a vicious cycle of impulsive behaviour followed by remorse or denial. 

Treatment and management 

Addressing both kleptomania and the underlying personality disorders is essential. 

Psychotherapy 

Psychotherapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can commonly be used to help kleptomania individuals understand their triggers, challenge distorted thoughts, and develop healthier coping strategies.⁴ Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is also particularly effective for BPD individuals with a focus on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.⁵

Medications 

Medications can also be helpful in managing the comorbidity. While opioid antagonists work as a first-line medical treatment of kleptomania by blocking the positive feeling of stealing to lessen the urge. Other drugs like antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilisers may also be considered to further help manage mood swings and control impulsivity when co-existing with BPD and ASPD. 

Support groups

Support groups and peer counselling can provide valuable social support, accountability and shareable personal experiences, offering a non-judgmental environment for a sense of community and belongingness.

Breaking the stigma

Kleptomania and personality disorders like BPD and ASPD are often misunderstood and misrepresented. Public perception often reduces kleptomania to merely shoplifting or criminal behaviours with lack of morals, underestimating its psychological roots. Those with BPD or ASPD may also be unfairly labelled as manipulative, dangerous, or moral deficient, resulting in isolation and discrimination. 

Despite the existence of ‘character flaws’ stigmas that strongly prevent individuals from seeking help due to fear of being judged by others, even healthcare providers. These are complex mental health conditions: Kleptomania, as a compulsive distressing urge to steal instead of greed or defiance, that is accompanied by feelings of shame or guilt. BPD and ASPD are also rooted in early developmental experiences, trauma, or neurobiological vulnerabilities. 

Breaking of stigma typically starts with education and awareness. With a better understanding that mental health conditions can influence behaviour without impacting a person’s worth. The society can thus adopt a more empathetic and compassionate view towards these conditions, hence facilitating individuals’ motivation in accessing treatment without the fear of being judged.   

Summary 

Kleptomania, though rare, can have a profound impact on a person, particularly when there are personality disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) simultaneously. Kleptomania is a compulsive urge to steal, whilst BPD and ASPD contribute to the deeper layers of emotional instability, impulsivity, or disregard to social norms. They all together create an often misunderstood or misdiagnosed complex clinical picture.

Adequate knowledge of differences in recognition in motivation, emotional regulation, and behavioural patterns are critical for accurate diagnosis and effective treatments. Tailored approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), medication, and supportive counselling can also promote symptom management and quality of life improvement. 

At the same time, having a general awareness of these conditions as legitimate mental health challenges but not moral failings or personal flaws could further encourage the creation of a safe space and professional support on mental health, helping the affected to move beyond their struggles towards fulfilling and flourishing lives.