How to Stop the Addiction to Stealing

Theft is a common problem in society. Some people only steal once or twice, while others can’t resist the urge to steal. Some people steal because they can’t afford the items, others may take pleasure in stealing, while some feel entitled to have what they want without paying. . Theft has many consequences such as imprisonment and criminal record keeping. Although not yet considered an addiction, phobias – a form of lust control disorder related to theft – can leave you feeling ashamed and guilty. To deal with a stealing addiction, it is important for you to: identify you have a stealing problem, seek outside support, change your thinking about stealing, develop a prevention plan prevent recurrence, find alternatives to stealing, and educate yourself about stealing.

Table of Contents

Identify you have a theft problem

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Understand that you deserve help. It’s important to know you’re valuable, as many people with guilt (including the shame of stealing) may not believe they deserve help. ^{[1] X Source of Research} This often prevents them from seeking help. You truly deserve help, sympathy, and you’re not alone.

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Identify your theft. It’s important to first identify the specific causes of your theft in order to start changing it. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Do you steal for emotional gratification? Do you feel the tension first, then the thrill of joy before the theft, and the relief after the theft? Is it followed by guilt, shame, and regret? Those are some of the signs that stealing is a problem for you.
Do you steal to escape? When you are stealing, do you have a strange feeling as if you are not yourself or that you are not in the real world? This is a fairly common feeling among people who have a habit of stealing.

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Write down your feelings. Once you know what drives you to steal, try writing freely about your need to steal. Don’t “censor” your feelings – everything you think or feel needs attention. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Remember to name those feelings, such as anger, fear, loneliness, feelings of stealth, exposure, weakness, etc., that accompany the need to steal.

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Determine consequences. Thinking about the consequences of stealing can help curb the urge. ^{[4] X Research Sources} If you have just been caught, or have been caught (or been caught several times), write them all down. You should also write down accompanying feelings – such as shame and guilt – as well as the actions you take to deal with those feelings, with regret or disgust, such as drinking too much alcohol. , self-injury, destroy stolen items, or other acts of destruction.

If you’ve ever been caught red-handed, how strong were your feelings at that time? Why do you feel that it is not enough to help you overcome the desire to steal? Record all of that.

Find outside help

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Think about therapy. Although you can fight your own stealing addiction with strong determination, seeking treatment can also help. The best form of support is to talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Combination therapy can be effective in treating obsessions or impulses to steal.

Remember that obsessional/impulsive-stealing therapy can be very successful in helping you overcome this disorder, but don’t forget that the results also depend on your determination to be strong. stars and how willing you are to do it!

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Understand treatment options. The most common modalities for treating phobias include: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), psychodynamic treatment, and group therapy/programs. 12-step process. ^{[5] X Research Sources}^{[6] X CBT Research Resources} help people change their way of thinking, thereby changing feelings and behaviors. DBT focuses on teaching people to endure suffering, regulate emotions, communicate effectively, and focus. Psychodynamic intervention studies your past and how you were raised to identify the causes and find solutions to current problems. 12-step programs focus on substance addictions, but there are 12-step programs specifically for stealing addictions. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

You can discuss these options with a mental health professional.
You can also explore these therapies on your own with self-help measures. For example, CBT involves changing your thoughts to change your feelings and behaviors.

Change your mind about stealing

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Identify and counter your thoughts. Changing your thinking to change how you feel and behave is at the heart of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is also a type of therapy for stealing and obsessional stealing. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} Track your unconscious thoughts, and you can change your stealing behavior. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Think about the thoughts that come up when you are about to steal something. For example, you might think, “I really want to do it,” or, “I’ll get away with it.” ^{[11] X Research Source}
Think about who benefits from this. Is the beneficiary just you, or is it your family, friends or someone else? In what way does it benefit you or others? If you feel part of your urge to steal is to strengthen your position or to find a sense of security in your circle of friends or family through “buying” affection or in return for attention. their intentions with items, then you need to start seeing that motivation as your inner insecurity.

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Practice changing the way you think. Once you have identified your thinking patterns, you can begin to think of alternative thoughts. This process includes noting the negative thoughts that underpin stealing, and actively changing thought processes in the present moment.

For example, if you find yourself thinking, “I really want that ring, and I’m going to steal it,” think differently, “I want that ring, but stealing is wrong, so I will focus on saving money.”

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Look at the big picture. When the desire to steal and the intention to steal is strong in you, take time to reflect on what you are planning to do and its consequences in all likelihood. Reflection time is important because perhaps you feel like your life lacks purpose or that you have no control over aspects of your life.

For some people, stealing is a form of passive rebellion against situations that make them feel helpless. Looking at your broader concerns will help you begin to develop your own goals for your life and at the same time help you draw boundaries with the bad behaviors that are preventing you from achieving your goals. its goal.

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Be ready to assert yourself and your needs. If you don’t have the courage to stand up for yourself, or you always feel ignored, criticized, and let down by others, you’re more likely to use stealing as a form of communication. “retaliation” against people you think have hurt or ignored you. Or, you can use stealing as a way to lull your feelings in general. Unfortunately, by not asserting yourself and not realizing your worth, you risk your future, and you allow the actions of others to make you hurt yourself even more. position. Remind yourself that the only person you are really hurting is you and no one else – you may be really upsetting the people who love you, but your behavior is not punishing them. ; you are punishing yourself.

Read How To Stand Up For Yourself, How To Be Assertive, and How To Communicate With An Assertive Attitude for more details.

Make a plan to prevent recurrence

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Identify your theft history. Relapse prevention planning is an essential element in overcoming your urge to steal and preventing this behavior in the future. ^{[12] X Source of Research}^{[13] X Source of Research} The first step to preventing recurrence is to identify past problems you have had related to your stealing.

You can use the information you wrote down in the exercise above to start a plan to prevent a relapse.
Write down your theft history. List as many cases as you can, starting when you were a child. Take note of any circumstances that occurred during that time and the factors that influenced your decision to steal.
Rate the degree of desire to steal in each case. Use a scale of 1 to 10 to describe how motivated you are to steal in each of the cases you’ve just recorded.

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Understand and deal with your triggers for stealing. Triggers are your thoughts and feelings about a situation that can lead you to that behavior. Record your thoughts and feelings associated with the theft.

Learn about high-risk situations. The key to overcoming the urge to steal is understanding risky situations to stay away from. ^{[14] X Research Source}
How do you feel when you commit the theft? See if you can identify particular triggers, such as someone annoying you, someone yelling at you, feelings of sadness and unlovedness, rejection, etc.
Note the correlation between the stimulus to the desire to steal and the degree to which you have assessed the feeling of desire to steal.
Keep this list, diary or notebook carefully.
Avoid situations that may prompt or facilitate you to steal, such as among a group of friends who have a habit of stealing, or going to stores with lax security. Avoid these situations at all costs so as not to be tempted.

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Follow the plan to control desires. This plan includes self-talk before taking any further steps. ^{[15] X Research Source} Try the following steps:

Stop . Instead of acting on impulse, stop immediately.
Breath. Stand still and give yourself space to breathe.
Observe. Think about what’s going on. How do you feel? What are you thinking? What are you reacting to?
Back. Try to look at the situation with an objective eye. Is there a different way of thinking about the situation? Think about a post-stealing situation where you are holding the item in your hand and ask yourself what to do with it and how to get over the guilt.
Do things that are effective. Choose for yourself what you want to do instead of stealing. Make a plan to change your behavior each time the urge to steal arises. Some helpful things include: Telling yourself who you are and what your values are, telling yourself that you are a good and valuable person, practicing self-calming and self-image techniques. Use peaceful scenes to lower your heart rate and relieve stress.

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Continue to monitor your behavior. Once you’ve mastered the art of controlling lust and reducing or eliminating stealing, you need to continue to closely follow your relapse prevention plan and adjust accordingly. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Back to the present. Keep a daily record of thefts you currently commit, if any. As above, write about your feelings and levels of desire to steal.
Balance your notes. Remember to jot down your accomplishments, the things that make you proud, and the things for which you are grateful. Try to gradually make these the main focus of journaling to build your self-esteem.

Find an alternative to stealing

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Distract yourself. Find alternatives to stealing, things that give you a sense of gratification or interest but don’t harm your life. ^{[17] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} It could be hobbies, activities, volunteer work, helping others, crafting items, growing plants, taking care of animals, write, paint, study, become an activist for your beliefs, or many other great alternatives to stealing. Whichever activity you choose, you need to make sure it benefits you without simply swapping out one disorder for another (eg, self-indulgence in alcoholism).

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Maintain positivity. If stealing is to fill a void in your life, fill that void with other activities. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} Practice a sport or exercise, find a hobby, or start volunteering. Instead of resorting to theft to kill time, use your time more productively and productively. This will help you boost your self-esteem, regenerate new energy, and dispel boredom. It will prevent stealing because there is nothing better to do, or because life lacks purpose. Just keep yourself busy, and the rest will come.

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Find a job, earn extra benefits or salary, or review your budget. If you steal because of a survival need, or because of your poverty, or because of emotional triggers, having a more stable and secure source of income can help reduce your desire or “need.” ask” to steal. Furthermore, the safety and daily routine of having a job can restore a sense of responsibility and self-esteem that you are losing in life. This step may not work if you already have enough money, have a job, or money is not an issue for you, but if money is your main problem, finding a secure source of income can help. can help.

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Find an outlet for emotions. Use the knowledge you gain from note-taking to begin to deal with the emotions and feelings that trigger your need to steal. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} Deal with anger, confusion, sadness, distress, and similar emotions. Be aware of your initial feelings and find new ways to deal with them instead of resorting to stealing.

Take note of new ways to amuse, entertain, or amuse yourself. What kinds of thoughts and actions have you discovered that can help lift your mood?

Educate yourself about stealing

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Understand stealing behavior and obsession with stealing. For the treatment of stealing, it is helpful to know if you only have stealing or if you have a particular disorder. ^{[20] X Research Source} The advice here is to seek the advice of a mental health professional.

Phobias of stealing affect 3-6% of the population. In other words, one in every 200 people qualifies for a diagnosis of obsessive-stealing disorder as a disorder.
11% of people have “stuck” at least once in their life. That is more than one in 10 people shoplifting once in their life. However, one or two thefts is not considered disorder.
The obsession with stealing is a desire control disorder; was associated with a feeling of “high” when committing the act of stealing, along with a feeling of guilt after stealing. The disorder is also characterized by an inability to restrain or stop stealing despite repeated attempts. ^{[21] X Research Source}
Theft is not considered an addiction, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), a reference guide for psychologists and psychiatrists in diagnosing mental disorders. .

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Identify the causes. Symptoms of stealing may be part of another disorder. For example, diagnoses such as conduct disorder, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder all have criteria that include theft-related behaviors. ^{[22] X Source of Research} You may also be diagnosed with other disorders that can potentially lead to phobias, such as dissociative states, stress, anxiety, and psychosis.

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Learn about theft. Ask for more information at the library or bookstore. In this internet age, you can easily find more information about health and well-being; However, you must look for reputable websites such as government health sites or those written by doctors and psychologists that have references and are verified by experts. Alternatively, you can also visit forums where people with the same disorder as you share their thoughts, feelings, worries, etc., as this will help you realize that you are not alone.

Advice

If you can’t afford something but want it, think of a less expensive way to exchange items. Perhaps simply borrowing an item from someone else temporarily will help you overcome your desire to own it.
Talk to a close friend or family member about your problem. They can give you good advice and will be a great source of support. Sharing your problem with a loved one can be of great help.
If you feel you can’t talk to someone like a doctor, talk to a trusted family member.

Warning

Returning stolen items can cause legal trouble. If there’s a way to return an item you’ve stolen without liability, do so – perhaps you should leave the item in front of the store when it’s unopened, or ship with a card. apology letter or note.

Things you need

A notebook or diary to record your feelings as well as triggers and solutions – you can make your own with cheap paper or BUY a cheap one; you have to pay or earn by being honest, or else you have destroyed the purpose even before starting, and this is extremely important.

Steps