Can't Stop Shoplifting

by Sandra
(USA)

I am a compulsive shoplifter and I can't seem to stop.

I want to change my thinking but again I just go up against a brick wall. I go through withdrawals when I can't do it and I have highs when I do.

Please give me some suggestions on how to learn how to bend my brain around the fact that it is really really bad. I have been caught and still can't stop.

Pleeeese help me because I feel like I'm going to give up. If I killed myself, at least I would know that I don't have to wreck any more lives than I already have.

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There's no quick fix to changing your thinking, but the problem is fixable. First you must understand that certain issues in your life are causing anxiety and you’re avoiding them – causing more anxiety. Shoplifting has become a dysfunctional coping strategy -- temporarily taking the edge off.

A combination of anti-anxiety medication and cognitive behavioral therapy can help you. You also can be treated without medication – self help groups, coaching, etc but without doing an assessment it’s impossible to tell which would be the best way to proceed.

The good thing is that this compulsive behavior is not a lost cause. However, shoplifting is against the law. I hope you get help as soon as possible, so that you don’t have to deal with further consequences.

All the best,

Bev