Citation

Knecht T. Arch. Kriminol. 1995; 196(1-2): 1-5.

Vernacular Title

Joy riding: Multiple "Strolchenfahrten" in angetrunkenem Zustand bei einer

Affiliation

Kantonalen Psychiatrischen Klinik Münsterlingen.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Verlag Schmidt-Romhild)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7575087

Abstract

Going out from the case report of a young unskilled worker, the author introduces a little known behavioral disorder, named "joy riding". This highly problematic pattern of misbehavior includes the stealing of usually high-powered motorcars in order to take fast and joyful trips without any goal and leaving them anywhere in a more or less damaged state. As our case report shows, this special behavior sometimes develops features of an addiction and thereby similarities to addictive behaviors like pathological gambling, kleptomania, pyromania and others. Rightly, we find in literature several statements denying clearly the nosological independence of all these non-substance-bound addictive behaviors, pointing out the underlying deficiency of impulse control building the common ground to all these addiction-like disorders.

Language: de