Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steel objects that are not needed for personal use. According to DSM, kleptomania is categorized as an impulse- control disorder and is defined by the following diagnostic criteria: 1) reoccurring failure to hold oneself back from stealing objects that are not needed; 2) an increase in the amount of tension that is felt immediately prior to the stealing; 3) pleasure, gratification or relief at the time the theft takes place; 4) the theft is not committed to express anger or vengeance and is not in response to a delusion or a hallucination and 5) the stealing is not better accounted for by conduct disorder, a manic episode or antisocial personality disorder. Kleptomaniacs report that the things they steal usually don’t have a lot of value and after they steal, they would discard, hoard or secretly return the items they stole. Although they will usually experience feelings of pleasure, gratification or relief at the time the stealing is committed, many times they have a sense of guilt, remorse or depression a short time later. The average age of onset of stealing behaviors is typically during adolescence, however they can begin as early as four years of age and as late as seventy- seven years of age. The average age at the time of evaluation s usually mid to late thirties. Women are usually evaluated at a younger age than men. The average age for women at the time of evaluation was thirty- five years old, whereas for men the average age was fifty years old. The irresistible and uncontrollable shoplifting associated with kleptomania closely resemble the frequently excessive, unnecessary and unwanted rituals of OCD. Kleptomaniacs also hoard which is very similar to the hoarding symptoms of i... ... middle of paper ... ... This case report suggests that naltrexone may be an effective treatment for kleptomania. It is important for kleptomania to be recognized and treated in adolescents, who are particularly vulnerable to this unrecognized disorder. (Grant & Kim, 2002) Works Cited Anonymous. (2009). The Thief Within. Nature. Goldman, M. J. (1991). Kleptomania: Making Sense of the Nonsensical. The American Journal of Psychiatry. Goldman, M. J. (1992). Kleptomania: An Overview. Pschiatric Annals. Grant, J. E. (2003). Family History and Psychiatric Comorbity in Persons With Kleptomania. Comprehensive Psychiatry. Grant, J. E. (2006). Understanding and Treating Kleptomania: New Models and New Treatments. The Israel Jurnal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences. Grant, J. E., & Kim, S. W. (2002). Adolescent Kleptomania Treated With Naltrexone. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Understanding psychological disorders are very important in human development, the first step is to define what is meant by a disorder. How do psychologists determine that there something is psychologically wrong with a person? What behaviours are abnormal? A psychological disorder, also known as a mental disorder, is a pattern of behavioural or psychological symptoms that impact multiple life areas and/or create distress for the person experiencing these symptoms. A clear sign of abnormal behaviour or mental state is when an individual's behaviour is destructive to themselves or their social group, such as family, friends. Above all psychological disorders create a maladaptive pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that lead to detriments in relationships and other life areas. There are several ethical issues in treating psychological disorders. There two ways of treating psychological disorders through; psychotherapy this form of treatment involves social interactions between a trained professional (therapist) and client. This is delivered on a one-to-one, face-to-face meeting. Another way of treating psychological disorder is through pharmacological treatments. This is the use of proactive drugs to treat certain disorders. This essay will aim to highlight the pros and cons of using pharmacological and psychological treatments.
Hoermann, Simone, Corrine Zupanick, and Mark Dombeck. "DSM-IV-TR: The Ten Personality Disorders." Mental Health.net. 3 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
This book is partly a psychiatric textbook and partly a self-help book. It reviews the biology, psychology, and genetics of different personality disorders, such as narcissism, paranoia, antisocialism, and obsessive compulsive. The author, Stuart C. Yudofsky MD, graduated with an MD from Baylor College of Medicine. His practice focuses in two areas: psycho-pharmacology and neuropsychiatry. He is the D.C. of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Baylor College of Medicine and the chairman of the Psychiatry Department of The Methodist Hospital. The publisher, American Psychiatric Pub., is a global publisher of books, journals, and multimedia on psychiatry, mental health and behavioral science.
“The disorder that doctors fear most,” or borderline personality disorder as it is known throughout the medical community, is only one of several personality disorders plaguing society today (qtd. in Aldhous). Unfortunately most people suffering from personality disorders do not attempt to seek psychiatric help and go undiagnosed and the bulk of those who do contact medical professionals are already in the midst of a problem or only search for help following a reckless act (Aldhous). Personality disorders are one of the most prevalent diagnoses of the psychiatric community, with thirty-six to sixty-seven percent of patients in psychiatric hospitals or facilities diagnosed with some sort of personality disorder (Yeandle 21). Even in an age full of so many technological advances in the psychiatric field, an understanding of personality disorders is not common among non-medical personnel, and it is important for people to take a closer look at the types of personality disorders and their respective symptoms, the diagnostic process and its need for reform, and the existing therapies and treatments available for those living with the heavy burden of a personality disorder.
Grisham and Barlow (2005) define hoarding as the excessive collection of items and the inability to discard them. As per DSM-5 (2013), hoarding falls under obsessive-compulsive and related disorders due to the recurrent and persistent urges, as well as its repetitive behaviors or mental acts. The act of hoarding can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex or economic status. However, according to development and course, there is a strong association in having a family member who is a compulsive hoarder and becoming a hoarder oneself. This problem usually emerges in early adolescence and tends to worsen with age (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals have been known to develop hoarding after experiencing a stressful life event they had difficulty coping with, such as the death of a loved one or divorce. Additionally, individuals affected by hoarding behaviors usually have complications with information processing, problems forming emotional attachments, behavioral avoidance, and flawed beliefs about the nature of possessions (Muroff, Bratiotis & Steketee, 2010). Furthermore, people who hoard are typically socially withdrawn and isolated while, ironically, others turn to the comfort of hoarding out of loneliness.
Personality disorder. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2014. Web. 08 Feb 2014
Kaut, K. P., & Dickinson, J.A. (2007). The mental health practitioner and psychopharmacology. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 29(3), 204–225.
There are many psychological conditions that can affect the way a person acts, feels and goes on about their daily life. There is one in particular that caught my attention and it is the "Addictive Personality Disorder" or APD. According to Daniel H. Angres, MD "addictive personality disorder is a condition in which an individual is susceptible to addiction", which can range anywhere from drug abuse to pornography to even gambling. People are considered to be at risk of having this common but serious condition when one shows aggression, depression and lack of self control. People with this disorder can go from one addiction to the next or even hold multiple addictions at a time.
Coon, Dennis, John O. Mitterer, and Art VanDeventer. "Schizophrenia." Psychology: a journey. 3rd ed. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 493.
Personality disorders are a group of mental conditions that are characterized by maladaptive patterns of behavior. An individual with a personality disorder will have an unhealthy and rigid pattern of functioning, thinking, and behaving. In addition, he/she has a difficulty perceiving and relating to people and situations. Because of all these, these individuals encounter problems and limitations in dealing with personal issues, relationships, school and even work. Personality disorders are prevalent in teenage years all the way through early adulthood.
In the year 2014 humans have a lot to boast about when it comes to technological, scientific, and medical advancements. We have spent so much time growing food in labs, traveling to the moon, and perfecting robots that we haven’t focused on learning about the inner workings of ourselves. While in the pursuit of happier and easier lives we failed to discover much about hoarding, a disorder that can potentially cause people to bury themselves alive. After reading Stuff by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee, I became interested in the many unknowns of a disorder that has been observed for many years. Little is known about what causes hoarding and little progress has been made to understand those suffering from it. It was always assumed that hoarding is a subtype of OCD and that hoarders are unresponsive to treatment, however recent studies prove that hoarding is its own disorder which requires its own treatments, still left to be discovered.
Before proceeding on what antisocial personality disorder is, along with its debatable biological causes, it is important to understand the criteria for a personality disorder. According to the manual used to diagnose psychological disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, describes personality disorders are ongoing mental illnesses that continue to dramatically affect an individuals’ life. The disorder involves feelings, i...
The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Print.
Iervolino, Alessandra, Nader Perroud, Miguel Fullana, Michel Guipponi, and Lynn Cherkas. "Prevalence and Heritability of Compulsive Hoarding: A Twin Study." Am J Psychiatry. 166.10 (2009): 1156-1161. Print.
Barlow, D., Durand, V., & Stewart, S. (2009). Abnormal psychology an integrative apporach. (2nd ed.). United States of America: Wadsworth