KLEPTOMANIA: The urge to steal.

"I have been a shoplifter since the age of eight. I suffer from kleptomania as I cannot stop stealing. It feels as if something in my head tells me to steal. Some of the items I regularly steal are toiletries, meat and plants. Money is never an issue when I steal. Me and my sons fear the sound of the shops' door alarm," Angela* said. Although she has been caught a couple of times, she remarked: "The idea that I might end up behind bars, does not stop me from stealing. If I have the urge to steal something, I get into my vehicle, go to a shop and steal something. I never think about the consequences." She has two teenage children who know that that their mother steals as they are sometimes with her when it happens. Angela recognises the wrongfulness of her actions and tries to discourage her children from engaging in similar behaviour. According to her, her techniques have improved over the years. "I know I must stop, but I do not have the willpower," she admits. The majority of stuff that Angela steals, she gives away as she feels guilty about what she has done (CMR Oos, 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]