Did you have the most
romantic proposal ever

Aiding Recovery

Terry Shulman speaks from experience when he
counsels shoplifters.

at Clean House, a small center for alter-
native therapy in Southfield. One of five
such groups in the United States, CASA
began in 1992.
erry Shulman of Southfield
"There's been very little help for
first realized he had an addic-
tion in 1990.
shoplifting addicts," he says, "Most peo-
ple just view it as wrong."
"It turned me into another
person," he says. "I became
He advocates arresting all
sarcastic, skeptical, distant,
shoplifters, to give them the
reckless. I broke up with my
wake-up call they need.
girlfriend. I was even contem-
'Arrest them; give them a
plating suicide."
penalty," he says. "Just don't
In Shulman's case, his addic-
degrade them. That pushes
tion didn't involve alcohol,
them even farther into shame."
cocaine or prescription drugs.
Approximately 700 people
What gave him an incredible
have attended CASA meetings
high was shoplifting.
so far, sharing their stories and
"I was depressed; I was
receiving support from each
Shulman
angry," he says. "I started to
other. About 60 percent of
shoplift."
these were ordered by various
Though he shoplifted various items,
local courts to attend after being con-
victed of shoplifting.
his main obsession was with music cas-
settes.
Although he began the group,
Shulman, 38, is now an attorney,
Shulman stresses that CASA is self-run.
therapist and consultant to businesses
His book details some of the stories he's
on shoplifting issues. Founder of the
heard from group members; who come
support group Cleptomaniacs and
from many different communities and
lifestyles.
Shoplifters Anonymous, or CASA, he is
the author of the newly published book
One man speaks of using store clerks
Something For Nothing (Infinity
to help carry his shoplifted items to his
Publishing.com, $24.95).
car. A woman remembers stealing "three
Like so many substance abusers,
or four fancy aprons — that was really
Shulman had to hit bottom before
dumb because I didn't even like aprons."
beginning his recovery. Halfway through
"Particularly in the Jewish communi-
law school, he found himself in a jail
ty, shoplifting has very little to do with
cell, one arm handcuffed to the wall.
money," Shulman says. Instead, the
Under the influence of his addiction,
addiction has to do with "underlying
he rationalized that life had treated him
social issues or conflicts."
unfairly and he deserved the things he
In the introduction to his book,
took. His parents were divorced; his
which was published just last month,
Shulman calls Something for Nothing "a
father was an alcoholic and suffered a
call to action."
debilitating stroke while only 48.
Shoplifting, he writes in Something For
"With most addictions, we focus on
Nothing was "a way of tipping the scales
dishonesty as a byproduct of the addic-
back into balance, a way of trying to
tive lifestyle," he writes. "Here, we go to
make things right for me."
the core: We explore dishonesty — in
People shoplift for numerous reasons,
the form of shoplifting and stealing —
he says, from poor people trying to
as the primary manifestation of unre-
make ends meet to teens who take items solved issues and erroneous, destructive
beliefs." ❑
from stores for a thrill or as the result of
a dare. But, for about 85 percent of the
shoplifters Shulman has interviewed,
Terry Shulman will conduct a sem-
shoplifting is an addictive-compulsive
inar on shoplifting addiction
disorder, he says.
Friday, Feb. 20, at Health
He suspects that the tendency toward
Specialists of America in
an addiction is hereditary, and that his
Farmington Hills. For information:
compulsive shoplifting was another
Shulman, (248) 358-8508 or
form of his father's alcoholism.
wvvmshopliftersanohymous.com
Every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m.,
Shulman leads a CASA support group

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Staff Writer

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