The misunderstood spiral of kleptomania: ‘It gives momentary relief, but then guilt and shame set in’

The new millennium had just dawned when images of actress Winona Ryder shoplifting from a department store spread worldwide. She was one of Hollywood’s hottest stars of the moment, and that episode — and the subsequent trial — made headlines around the globe. She was sentenced to a fine, community service, and therapy for treatment of alleged kleptomania. She never confirmed this disorder; she simply remained silent and disappeared for a while. Only years later did she reveal that, at the time of the incident, she was taking painkillers that had left her in a state of “confusion.” She didn’t clarify much further but her case served, with varying degrees of success, to bring kleptomania — a complex psychological disorder that is largely understudied by the scientific community — into the spotlight.

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Fuente: El País