Anne is a 32-year-old woman who presented to a psychiatrist after having been involved in a court case where she was accused of shoplifting. The shop had decided not to prosecute, but Anne indicated to her psychiatrist that she did indeed have a problem with stealing from stores. She explained to her psychiatrist that she found it odd that she did not have a real need for the items (typically toiletries) that she stole, yet she found that the act of stealing somehow provided her with a real sense of gratification. She noted that the urge to steal came and went, but seemed particularly strong when she was going through stressful periods at work. At these times, she found herself visiting particular stores and experiencing a strong urge to take various cosmetic items. She would pick certain items in a ritualistic way and described a sense of rising tension leading up to and during the theft. She would then experience a wonderful sense of relief on exiting the store after having stolen the items. She stockpiled the toiletries and cosmetics in her bathroom as she accumulated far more than she could reasonably use. Although Anne had no other psychiatric problems, when pushed about mood symptoms, she noted that during stressful times at work, she would feel demoralized and would suffer some symptoms of depression such as loss of appetite and insomnia. Given Anne’s few mood symptoms, her psychiatrist chose to not prescribe pharmacological treatment and instead referred her for cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Sunil Kumar Jayasudha kamaraj
Clinical Psychologist Counseling Psychologist
Founder co-founder
Mind Zone Mind Zone
http://mindzone.in/general/
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