It's rare for a parent of an ADHD child to complain about kleptomania, but it does happen. Kleptomania is a kind of manic disorder where a person impulsively steals. Parents have difficulty understanding why their children resort to stealing when they are willing to give them everything they could ever ask for. However, kleptomania has nothing to do with the real desire for objects or for monetary gain; often, it is a symptom of an underlying neurological problem.
Does having ADHD increase the risk of kleptomania? It does, Surefire g2 flashlight but not all children with ADHD will necessarily develop this disorder. The relationship between ADHD and kleptomania may have to do with the fact that the reward pathways in the ADHD brain tend to be dysfunctional. A new study revealed that children with ADHD do not have a protein in a region of the brain linked to its reward pathway. The reward pathway plays a crucial role in motivation, reinforcement, and the association of certain stimuli with rewards, or feelings of satisfaction. Children with a dysfunctional reward pathway have difficulty finding motivated to do schoolwork or become easily bored. Thus, the child may seek the thrill of stealing objects to satisfy a deficient reward pathway.
The kleptomaniac habit displays itself in similar ways. Normally, the child has very poor impulse control and cannot help but steal items. When they act upon this impulse, the reward pathways of their brain become stimulated and provide feelings of satisfaction. Other times, kleptomania can come about when a child is feeling stressed or anxiety. A kleptomaniac child finds relief in the act of stealing, much like a shopper feels a certain "kick" after shopping. If a child is feeling stressed or anxious, he or she may feel the impulse to steal to quiet the anxiety. A study discovered that female kleptomaniacs steal more during the days before menstruation. In this sense, kleptomania is very similar to drug and alcohol abuse.
Many kleptomaniacs only steal a certain type of item - cosmetics or pens, for instance. Over time, he or she might have a huge collection of this item. Another common symptom of kleptomania is when your child has far more new clothes and gadgets than he or she can afford.
It's best to seek help for kleptomania as soon as the behavior is discovered. Not only will kleptomania get your child in trouble with the law, but it is also an unhealthy way of managing anxieties and emotional turmoil. Treating kleptomania in anyone with ADHD will first involve treating the impulsive symptoms of ADHD. A diet, brain retraining program, or detoxification program might take place, depending on the underlying causes of the condition. Additionally, he or she might need cognitive behavioral therapy to reframe thoughts and learn effective behavior management.
Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about what is ADHD.
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