18 - Kleptomania and Pyromania

Kleptomania

The deep-seated urge to steal things is known as kleptomania. The kleptomaniac may steal from retail stores or even from the homes of friends and acquaintances. Most kleptomaniacs are women (up to 90%), but young boys and young men may also be involved.

One unique feature of kleptomania is that stealing does not occur because the person needs the item and does not have the money to buy it. The kleptomaniacs often come from financially comfortable families. They usually do not use the items they steal but just accumulate them in a collection, or they may even throw the articles away. They may steal the same kind of article over and over.

The emotions that arise during the acts of theft are very similar to those of sexual excitement. Danger is associated with the act of stealing which is illegal. The kleptomaniac associates this tension with sexual excitement and gratification.

Not all kleptomaniacs are stimulated in a sexual way by stealing items. In these cases motivation may come from lack of emotional warmth during childhood or from harsh treatment by parents or guardians. These kleptomaniacs steal for revenge against people who are linked to parental authority, such as store owners or the police.

The kleptomaniacs do not plan in advance to steal something. Usually at an opportune time, they have overpowering impulses to take something. Unsuccessfully, they try to talk themselves out of doing this deed and eventually take the item. After they have stolen, they are overcome by tremendous feelings of guilt, humiliation, and remorse. They are seized by the need for punishment, which may explain why they continue to steal in an unskillful manner until they are caught.

Pyromania

The compulsive urge to set fires is known as pyromania. The pyromaniac should not be confused with the arsonist whose goal in starting a fire is tied with some type of financial gain such as collecting insurance money or destroying a business that is not profitable. However, anyone who intentionally or recklessly starts a fire will be charged with arson. Most fires are set for fraudulent reasons (to collect insurance money). Some fires are started to cover a crime such as homicide or theft; the fire damages the evidence.

What are some of the reasons behind the pyromaniac’s dangerous and destructive behaviours? First, some want to show defiant responses to authority. They want to show rebellion against the law, and they view the police as authority figures like their fathers for example. A second reason is linked to hostility and aggression stemming from rejection in childhood. By setting fires that endanger lives and property, the pyromaniac is satisfying aggressive, destructive urges that were unresolved from childhood. The pyromaniac delights in setting a fire because it is a very powerful agent of destruction with which he can identify. The third motive is linked to sexual excitement and sexual conflict. The person may associate fire with sexual stimulation and expression. Many words in our language connect fire and sexual excitement. For example: “flames of passion”, “playing with fire” (when you willingly go into a sexually dangerous situation), “being on fire” with sexual arousal, feeling “hot” or excited about someone.

fireman in action

All the activities surrounding a fire are dangerous and exciting, which adds to the fascination.
Pyromaniacs feel compelled to watch the fires they start and their sexual excitement builds until they reach a point of gratification. Once that has passed, they may experience intense feelings of guilt.

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