Posted on 01/29/2005 4:32:43 PM PST by grassboots.org
A Minnesota doctor has developed a treatment to help people who suffer from kleptomania.
Many people believe kleptomania and shoplifting are the same. Kleptomaniacs experience an irresistible urge to steal, but unlike common criminals, kleptomaniacs often feel incredible guilt. Sometimes, they even return stolen goods.
Don Bronski does not know where his desire to steal came from or why.
“I was in a store buying something and I got this need, this compulsion, this drive to steal a can of spices,” said Bronski, who suffers from kleptomania.
Bronski kept stealing, and kept getting caught. After his fourth arrest, a Hennepin County judge gave him an ultimatum: Get help or go to prison.
“They have such a strong craving to steal. They cannot resist,” said Dr. Suck Won Kim. Dr. Kim treats patients at the impulse control disorder clinic at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Kim said he will never forget the day in 1998 when he discovered an effective treatment for kleptomania. It is a drug called Naltrexone.
“This pill works right on that circuitry in the brain where cravings and pleasure are processed,” said Dr. Kim.
Twenty years ago, Naltrexone was approved for alcohol treatment, but the recommended dosage was too low to be effective.
Higher doses sometimes resulted in liver problems. Dr. Kim discovered liver problems only occurred when patients also took over-the-counter pain medication.
“I was really jumping up and down. Everybody thought I was strange, but that was the day I put it all together,” said Dr. Kim.
Patients like Bronski lose their cravings to steal within a couple of weeks.
“Since that time, I haven’t had one desire, thought or compulsion really to steal,” Bronski said.
Dr. Kim also uses Naltrexone to treat patients with other craving-related disorders, including shopaholics and compulsive gamblers.
He has found temporary treatment can bring permanent results.
“It’s not like a treatment for depression, where we have to treat them for the rest of their lives,” said Dr. Kim. “We treat this two years and we stop treatment.”
Now, doctor and patient want others to know kleptomania is curable.
“We have patient after patient that this has to be known. They say, this has to be known to society,” Dr. Kim said.
“There are a lot of people out there who have this problem and they can be helped,” Bronski said.
Experts believe one in 20 shoplifters suffer from kleptomania.
Congress must have kleptomania. Look what they have done with sosh security..
True, True...
I guess this means pretty soon if you're a victim of kleptomania you'll be able to take something for it...
Cheers
Jim
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