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Woman Proudly And Openly Calls Herself A Kleptomaniac, Shocked When She’s Not Invited To A Party
Our friends often say more about us than we ever could, which is why it’s so important to choose them wisely.
This Redditor certainly kept it in mind when she joined a women’s social club, hoping to meet new people after moving to a different city. As she got to know the group, she bonded with a handful of women who shared her interests and invited them over for a cozy hangout at her place. However, she left one member—who openly bragged about being “a total klepto”—off the guest list.
What she didn’t expect was how much backlash her decision would cause. Now, she’s unsure if she’s the one who was in the wrong. Read on for the full story.
The woman invited a few new acquaintances to her place but left out someone who called herself “a total klepto”
Image credits: Yunus Tuğ / unsplash (not the actual photo)
What she didn’t expect was how much backlash her decision would cause
Image credits: Hillary Ungson / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Nini FromParis / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Known_Occasion_2041
Kleptomania is a real mental health disorder
Though many people are familiar with the term kleptomania—the inability to resist the urge to steal—it might come as a surprise to learn that it’s a mental health condition, not just a personality ‘quirk.’
Kleptomania, though rare, is a serious disorder that deeply affects those who live with it and their loved ones. Joking about it or casually calling yourself a “total klepto” when it’s not true is both harmful and dismissive of the real issue at hand—an uncontrollable problem with impulse control, unlike shoplifting, which is driven by personal gain.
Dr. Heather Sequeira, a consultant psychologist and member of the British Psychological Society who has treated individuals with kleptomania, explained the condition in an interview with the BBC:
“You can think of this a bit more like being addicted to stealing,” she says. “Somebody who steals perfumes to sell on eBay is clearly doing it for personal gain. But someone else may steal those same perfumes because they feel this instinctive urge to steal and can’t think of anything else until they do it.”
“And frequently, they don’t use the items that they’ve stolen. They put them in a drawer where they’ve got a hundred items exactly the same. I’ve met people who’ve left them on buses or given the items away. Or sometimes they even take them to the shop to try and get rid of that guilt.”
Image credits: Meg Aghamyan / unsplash (not the actual photo)
The condition is often linked to difficult childhood experiences
Kleptomania can develop for a variety of reasons, but it often traces back to difficult childhood experiences. “It’s complicated, and certainly no ‘one size fits all’ here,” says Dr. Sequeira. Many people with kleptomania describe growing up in poverty or facing resource scarcity, while others recall feeling powerless as children due to trauma, such as childhood sexual abuse.
Unfortunately, there is no outright cure for kleptomania, but the condition can be managed with proper treatment.
According to Dr. Sequeira, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is typically offered to those diagnosed. “CBT helps give us the tools to regain control over these impulses,” she says. “First of all, it helps us recognize the triggers and emotions that underlie the stealing behavior. Then it gives us the skills to manage the impulse and manage the behavior”.
However, Dr. Sequeira notes that it’s hard to determine the overall success rate of CBT for kleptomania due to a lack of research.
“But if people get the right therapist—somebody who really understands them, somebody who is compassionate—over time, you can really build up that foundation for long-term recovery.”
Image credits: Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Some readers took the time to explain the ableist remarks about kleptomania and their implications
Many felt the author wasn’t at fault for her decision
But others argued that she had overreacted
Poll Question
If you were in the Redditor’s situation, would you invite Andrea?
Yes, I would give her a chance
No, I prefer being cautious
Maybe, after learning more about her intentions
Unsure
The reply about her being an ablist becasue being a kelpto is aental health condition is such a reach. How is it blistering if you dont want a self professed thief in your house? Konda with the boomers on this one. Some people just want to over react and start drama when there is none. They just want to be offended over every little thing. It's not thay deep
Load More Replies...Ok, someone brags about stealing and the OP doesn't want her in her home. I totally get it. I don't own jewels or expensive things but I have worked hard for everything I have. My late father's girlfriend would admire something small in someone's home and the item was never seen again. OP is completely correct.
An ex friend of mine stole a very valuable (to me) piece of jewelry that I inherited from my late grandmother. I have probably 100+ pieces of jewelry from my grandma but this was a beautiful ring that was one of my favourites. It hurt so bad when I found out it was missing and she had it. When I confronted her over the phone (politely I swear, she was known for her temper so I did it as gently as possible) she got extremely angry and claimed to throw the ring in the garbage. She refused to ever talk to me again and I never got the ring back. I hope if she still has it, it makes her feel guilty every time she wears it, and I hope, if my grandma can see me now, she can forgive me for losing such a beautiful and important ring. People who steal from others are awful and don’t even realize the pain they can cause just because they decide they want a cool new shiny thing all for themselves.
The YTAs are oblivious to the truth. This person admitted to being a thief. She told OP about a specific incident. And OP is supposed to let this friend into her house on the off chance she *won't* steal something? And that ableist comment! People these days throw around terms without knowing what they mean.
OP is also new to the group. Is she supposed to go around and grill all the others about someone who already admits to stealing. And who of the. YTAs is to say what’s “valuable” A trinket from childhood or a deceased parent may be very valuable to the owner and just a trophy to the confessed Klepto. I wouldn’t risk it. How may of the others have lost things and aren’t speaking up? Find another group.
The reply about her being an ablist becasue being a kelpto is aental health condition is such a reach. How is it blistering if you dont want a self professed thief in your house? Konda with the boomers on this one. Some people just want to over react and start drama when there is none. They just want to be offended over every little thing. It's not thay deep
Load More Replies...Ok, someone brags about stealing and the OP doesn't want her in her home. I totally get it. I don't own jewels or expensive things but I have worked hard for everything I have. My late father's girlfriend would admire something small in someone's home and the item was never seen again. OP is completely correct.
An ex friend of mine stole a very valuable (to me) piece of jewelry that I inherited from my late grandmother. I have probably 100+ pieces of jewelry from my grandma but this was a beautiful ring that was one of my favourites. It hurt so bad when I found out it was missing and she had it. When I confronted her over the phone (politely I swear, she was known for her temper so I did it as gently as possible) she got extremely angry and claimed to throw the ring in the garbage. She refused to ever talk to me again and I never got the ring back. I hope if she still has it, it makes her feel guilty every time she wears it, and I hope, if my grandma can see me now, she can forgive me for losing such a beautiful and important ring. People who steal from others are awful and don’t even realize the pain they can cause just because they decide they want a cool new shiny thing all for themselves.
The YTAs are oblivious to the truth. This person admitted to being a thief. She told OP about a specific incident. And OP is supposed to let this friend into her house on the off chance she *won't* steal something? And that ableist comment! People these days throw around terms without knowing what they mean.
OP is also new to the group. Is she supposed to go around and grill all the others about someone who already admits to stealing. And who of the. YTAs is to say what’s “valuable” A trinket from childhood or a deceased parent may be very valuable to the owner and just a trophy to the confessed Klepto. I wouldn’t risk it. How may of the others have lost things and aren’t speaking up? Find another group.
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