STRAY THOUGHTS AND RANDOM IDEAS.

“Dips, a young girl, Chitrangda, of about 10 years residing in my building is having a problem. Her parents have now realized that the girl has the nasty habit of stealing things from neighborhood shops, her classes etc. They are frantic and asked guidance from me.”

Dr. Ganguly explained about this mental disorder.”                                         

KLEPTOMANIA.

This act of stealing things is called Kleptomania. The person having this mental disorder gets the irresistible urge to steal, feels pleasure, relief, and gratification while stealing. But after the theft is committed, the person feels terrible guilt, remorse, self-loathing, shame or fear of arrest. After a few days, the urge returns and the cycle of kleptomania repeat.

 They simply steal because the urge is so powerful that they cannot resist it, unlike common thieves who steal for personal gains. Kleptomania episodes occur spontaneously, usually without planning and without any help from another person. Most people with kleptomania steal from public places such as stores, malls etc. Some may steal from friends or acquaintances such as at a party. Often the stolen items have no value for this person as he/she can afford to buy them. The stolen items are usually stashed away, never to be used.

Many persons with kleptomania do not want to seek any medical treatment for their mental disorder because they are afraid they will be arrested or jailed. Kleptomania is a type of impulse control disorder and is characterized by problems with emotional or behavioral self control. Although there is no cure for kleptomania, treatment with medication or psychotherapy may be able to help end the cycle of compulsive stealing.

“Call the parents and the girl to my office for guidance.”

After talking with Chitrangda  for about two hours, I called her parents to my chamber while the child waited outside in my clinic. “I have understood the basic problem which had triggered this disorder. You two are to be greatly credited for her psychological problem. You did not encourage her at the early ages when she showed her interest in dance, music and paintings etc. Instead you made her to concentrate on only studies. She is a brilliant child in her studies, you know that. At the same time, she had inborn talents for other interests which could have flourished along with her studies.

Instead, for unknown reasons, you both bottled her desires and drove her to only study. Many parents do this mistake. They are obsessed with their children’s studies. They are not aware that their children have immense capacity in their minds and bodies to handle other aspects too, along with their school studies. They do not trust their own children. The parents are obsessed that their children should study well in their schools and score centum in all their subjects. The parents aspire that after 12^th standard, their children should join Medical, Engineering or other competitive fields. They do not recognize the other talents in their children which could make them outstanding when they grow. The natural talents in their children are aborted by the parents in the formative years of the children.

In fact all the parents must undergo psycho analysis and treatment compulsorily when they have growing children in their houses! That will make them understand themselves better and then their children. In their anxiety to educate their children they forget that there are many other qualities to be admired other than mechanical studies. There is no point in blaming the children when they do not get psychological support from their parents. This vacuum invites many disorders in the minds of the children. Some children can handle these traps and come out of them at early stages and many do not know that they are in pits leave alone try to overcome the traps. Can we blame the innocent kids if they do wrong things?”