Please help!!!!?

Question

Please help!!!! I wanna know what the disease is called when you do things that you dont wanna do even if they affect you. The thing is I have a cousin that has some kind of shoplifting disorder, has gone to jail a few times for the same reason but she keeps doing it ( she usually shoplifts little things... not really valuable things. She is on some kind of anti-depressant and has to take some pills to sleep. She was caught shoplifting today and I am wondering if it can be used against her. PLEASE HELP... you can give websites or any sources of info.... I'd appreciate it!!

Answer 1

It sounds like her depression could have some sort of obsessive aspect to it. I would look for information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Also when most women (and men too probably) shop lift if is because they have had something awful happen to them and they just feel the world should owe them so they try to get something for free. If she is continually depressed she might be stuck in this kind of thinking. So you should look for information on Dysthymia (mild depression), Major Depression and maybe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Some people get addicted to the thrill of shoplifting. Consider Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Bipolar Disorder which is what they used to call manic depression. That would be the case maybe if she went periods of time depressed and not stealing and then got more up and had a shoplifting experience again.

Their are studies that look at impulse control and dopamine levels. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that helps synapses work. In lots of people with low impulse control their is evidence of low dopamine production. A lot of studies have been down on prison inmates to show it might be the dopamine rather than something completely under their control.

So go to Yahoo! or Google and search on those things:
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Dysthymia
Major Depression
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
ADHD
Bipolar Disorder
Impulse Control and Dopamine

Wikipedia.com might give you some good reading too.

Good luck. I hope your friend will be okay and it's great that she has someone like you who cares so much. Remember the best thing you can do is to be there for her.