Ex-Green MP Golriz Ghahraman pleaded guilty to four shoplifting charges in Auckland District Court today.
Video / Dean Purcell / Cameron Pitney
Golriz Ghahraman’s theft of dresses, accessories and tops from three high-end boutiques was described as “loss-reactive shoplifting” at a sentencing hearing this week.
On Monday, defence lawyer Annabel Cresswell told Judge June Jelas in the Auckland District Court that the former Green MP had a “clear diagnosis ofComplex PTSD” with two key contributing factors: Her early life in war-torn Iran and the “public vitriol, threats and abuse” she experienced in Parliament.
Ghahraman is pushing for a discharge without conviction and is due to learn her fate this afternoon, after Judge Jelas reserved her decision.
Although there is a relatively low prevalence of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), for those with the condition, the symptoms can be debilitating.
Wellington psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland said CPTSD comes about as a result of multiple traumas, or ongoing trauma, over a long period, whereas PTSD can occur after a traumatic event or events.
“Loss-reactive shoplifting”, as described by Cresswell in court, is where an otherwise law-abiding individual steals as part of a mental health crisis.
While Sutherland said it was not a diagnosable mental health condition, it may offer a way of trying to understand an issue.
He referred to research which grouped shoplifters into various categories, one of which was “loss-reactive”.
“This study was saying people that fall into this category have a much longer, or much stronger, history of lifetime loss and trauma and so that’s probably where your connection is with Complex PTSD.”
The theoretical idea is that by stealing, the person was making up for a loss in their lives, Sutherland said.
Clinical psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland. Photo / Supplied
“Interestingly, these participants presented with, amongst other things, less impulsivity than other people, and they also stole the least expensive items.”
Whereas one of the symptoms of CPTSD is “reckless or self-destructive” behaviour, he said.
Common factors behind CPTSD include a background of extended sexual abuse or torture over a long period.
PTSD on the other hand can occur as a result of a one-off car accident, he told the Herald.
After this trauma, a person can have symptoms including feeling like they are re-experiencing the event, which can come in the form of flashbacks and vivid dreams.
”You also go to great lengths to avoid reminders of the trauma, you get big difficulties in what we call hypervigilance, or that exaggerated state of alertness. You know you jump at the drop of, you know, a car backfires.”
Sutherland said people with CPTSD also experience difficulties managing emotions and sustaining relationships.
With PTSD he said there were several mainstream treatments, all of which involve an element of exposure to the traumatic memories in a safe environment.
“Learning that those are just memories now, they’re no longer actually happening. Because it’s like your body responds and your brain responds as if they were actually happening now.”
However, he said CPTSD was more difficult to treat, especially when it comes to mood regulation and relationship difficulties.
“The rates of Complex PTSD are still relatively low in the community from what we know. Less than sort of 5% or 4% of people would perhaps have it.
“Not everybody who experiences a trauma goes on to develop PTSD or Complex PTSD, in fact what we know is the a majority of people who experience a trauma, particularly a one-off or a two-off trauma don’t go on to experience PTSD.”
Ex-Green Party list MP Golriz Ghahraman. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Auckland psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald told the Herald destructive impulsive behaviour as a response to severe distressor dysregulation is very common with a diagnosis of CPTSD.
“It works very much the same way as a drug or gambling addiction, in that a short term ‘hit’ of adrenaline distracts from emotional pain, but leaves the person with high levels of shame and other negative consequences.”
MacDonald said CPTSD can shape how someone’s personality develops and how they see themselves.
“Some people, if they have experienced very profound, ongoing and extreme trauma throughout childhood, will of course be quite disabled by that.”
Psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald. Photo / Supplied
However, he said the condition ranges in severity and while some people have difficulties with relationships, others may only struggle when under extreme stress.
“If people have experienced trauma before, they’re much more likely to experience a post-traumatic stress response to ongoing trauma.
“PTSD is often very discreetly linked to a particular incident and often linked to experiences in adolescence and adulthood. With Complex PTSD, what we understand is that events generally throughout childhood or in early childhood have come to shape the emotional development of a person.”
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.
