Compulsive Borrowing Behavior with Forensic Consequences in a Woman with Childhood Trauma and Resolved Seizure Disorder: A Case Report

Impulse-control disorders are characterized by recurrent failures to resist behaviors that provide short-term relief but lead to significant psychosocial or legal consequences. While conditions such as kleptomania and gambling disorder are well described, compulsive borrowing behavior remains poorly documented, particularly in low-resource settings where such behaviors are often interpreted as criminality rather than psychopathology. We report the case of a 40-year-old married Nigerian woman with a childhood history of seizure disorder that resolved before adolescence, who presented with recurrent uncontrollable urges to obtain loans despite awareness of harmful consequences. The behavior was associated with increasing internal tension and transient relief after borrowing, resulting in severe social dysfunction and police detention over unresolved debts. Her psychosocial background was notable for parental divorce, upbringing by a stepmother, and repeated exposure to domestic violence during childhood. Mental state examination revealed depressive symptoms, excessive compliance, compulsive tidiness, emotional dysregulation, and occasional brief auditory perceptual experiences without sustained psychosis. A diagnosis of impulse-control disorder characterized by compulsive borrowing behavior was made, with comorbid persistent depressive disorder and trauma-related emotional dysregulation. Management included fluoxetine, risperidone, cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma-focused supportive psychotherapy, and supervised financial restriction. Significant improvement in borrowing urges and mood was observed within four weeks, with no further police involvement. This case highlights compulsive borrowing as a potentially under-recognized form of impulse dysregulation with important forensic implications and emphasizes the need for early psychiatric recognition and integrated management.