NASP provides anonymous help, groups and support services for compulsive shoplifting /stealing/ theft, kleptomania, shoplifting habits and shoplifting addictions. We provide referrals for shoplifting therapy / counseling and for groups to assist with recovery.


"We help people who have nowhere else to turn"

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SHOPLIFTING PREVENTION

(a national non-profit organization)

Welcome... to this confidential section of the NASP website.

Click here to see how you answer 10 quick questions about yourself and shoplifting.

If you have an issue with shoplifting and want to learn more, this website will be able to answer almost all your questions and recommend a course of action for you to take.

You may be asking yourself some of the same questions we hear from others:

  • I was caught shoplifting - what do I do now?
  • Will I go to jail?
  • Why can't I go into stores and not be tempted to shoplift?
  • Why can't I seem to stop shoplifting?
  • What's wrong with me?
  • Do I have some psychological problem or am I just crazy?
  • Why do I shoplift?

Let's start with this last question and proceed from there.

Why did you steal?

“I don’t know”, might be your reply.

Maybe it was because you want nice things, or were feeling depressed, frustrated, angry, confused or bored. Perhaps you were feeling financial pressure or were fearful that things in your life weren’t working out. Maybe you just wanted to see if you could get away with it, or you were mad at the world and wanted to strike back.

While you probably know right from wrong and are not a career criminal, when your life becomes too stressful you may become more vulnerable to the temptation to “get something for nothing”, perceiving that this might help to balance the scales and make life more “fair”. Because of unhappy circumstances in your life, you may feel like giving yourself a “gift” or a “lift”, or a "reward", which you may feel you need or deserve. The problem for you is that stealing is hurtful to you and others… and is a criminal act.

If you believe that you are a person who deserves a chance to learn how to cope with difficult situations in your life and regain your self-respect, then you must give yourself that chance.

For many people, trying to stop shoplifting is not so easy without some support because shoplifting can become a habit… or even an addiction.

Even if you shoplift only occasionally and feel guilty, ashamed and fearful about getting caught, the temptation may be to strong for you to resist without some help.

This protected SAFE section of the NASP website will help you to first, evaluate the seriousness of your shoplifting issue and your potential for another incident in the future and second, to inform you of what kind of added support is available and where to find it.

We recommend that you first get started with one of NASP’s comprehensive and confidential education programs which you can complete in the privacy of your home.


 

If you have a question to ask or comments to share, please click here to email us.


Confidentiality Notice

The National Self-Help & Support Center is a place for people to come for confidential and safe help. NASP is committed to keeping all personal information secure. Participation in any of the NASP self-help programs and support services is held STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Any programs you request be sent to your address will not be identified as coming from the National Association For Shoplifting Prevention, but rather from the non-descript word “NASP”. No information will be released about your participation in any NASP program without your permission, except to a court or jurisdiction which ordered you to complete a NASP program. NASP is committed to protecting your identity and information. If you have any questions about this Confidentiality Notice or NASP practices, please call us toll-free at 800-848-9595.

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