What is a Shopping Addiction? What can you do if you think you’re a shopaholic?
Shopping addiction is a type of behavioural addiction in which people engage in compulsive buying to feel good and avoid negative emotions like anxiety or depression. Shopping addiction, like other behavioural addictions, can become a preoccupation and cause problems in different areas of your life.
Oniomania (compulsive shopping, also known as shopping addiction) is arguably the most socially acceptable addiction. Think about this: We are surrounded by advertising that claims that purchasing will make us happy.
Moreover, there’s an allure in wanting what everyone else appears to have. Whether intentional or not (or a combination of the two), consumerism has become a measure of social value.
Almost everyone shops to some extent, but only about 6% of the American population is believed to have a shopping addiction.
Although widespread consumerism has recently increased, shopping addiction is not a new condition. It was first recognised in the early nineteenth century and classified as a psychiatric disorder in the early twentieth century.
Signs of Shopping Addiction
Symptoms of shopping addiction include obsessive thinking, compulsive shopping, feelings of euphoria after purchases, financial difficulties, lying about purchases, and opening new credit cards without paying off existing balances.
People who struggle with shopping addiction tend to spend more time and money on shopping than they can afford, and many end up in financial trouble because of their excessive spending.
Items purchased during a compulsive shopping spree are frequently hoarded and unused, and compulsive shoppers start planning their next spending spree. Most people shop alone, but some go with others who enjoy it.
Causes of Shopping Addiction
The exact causes of shopping addiction are unknown, but several factors may contribute, such as:
Other Mental Health Conditions
Shopping addiction typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. It is frequently associated with other disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, impulse control disorders, and personality disorders.
Personality Characteristics
This difficulty in controlling the desire to shop stems from a personality trait that shopaholics share, distinguishing them from most others. They are often low on self-esteem, easily influenced, kindhearted, sympathetic, and polite to others despite being lonely and isolated. Shopping allows them to connect with others.
Some people develop a shopping addiction to boost their self-esteem, but this is rarely successful.
Materialism
People with shopping addictions are more materialistic than other shoppers and attempt to elevate themselves by seeking status through material possessions and approval from others. They fantasise more than others and, like other addicts, struggle to control their impulses.
Exposure to Advertisements
People with a shopping addiction may be more vulnerable to the marketing and advertising messages that bombard us every day. While advertising is generally designed to exaggerate the benefits of a purchase and suggest that the purchase will result in an escape from life’s problems, specific marketing techniques are specifically designed to trigger impulse buying.
Retail Therapy
Shopping addiction, like other addictions, is often a coping mechanism for life’s emotional pain and difficulties. Unfortunately, it usually makes things worse rather than better for the shopper.
People who enjoy shopping and use it to escape negative emotions refer to it as “retail therapy.” This phrase implies that buying something for yourself can provide the same benefit as engaging in counselling or therapy. This is an incorrect and ineffective idea.
Although a new purchase can sometimes solve a problem, this is not considered retail therapy. Typically, the items purchased during retail therapy are unnecessary, and the resulting financial cost may reduce the resources available to address other life problems.
Regular Shopping versus Shopping Addiction
So, what distinguishes regular shopping, occasional splurges, and shopping addiction? Shopping addiction, like all addictions, differs from other types of shopping in that it becomes the person’s primary way of coping with stress. People will continue to shop excessively even if it negatively impacts different aspects of their lives.
Normal Shopping
- Purchased items are needed and used
- There is no sense of compulsion
- It does not cause financial distress
- Occasional splurges
Shopping Addiction
- Purchased items are usually not needed or used
- Compulsive shopping behaviour
- Creates financial problems for the shopper
- Constant overbuying
Money problems and relationship damage can arise because of shopping addiction, but people with this addiction (also known as “shopaholics”) believe they have no control over their spending.
Online shopping addiction is a type of internet addiction, and people with social anxiety are more likely to develop it because it does not require face-to-face contact. It feels anonymous, as do other cyber addictions.
How Shopping Can Be Similar to Other Addictions
Several characteristics of shopping addiction are common to other addictive behaviours. As with other addictions:
- Overshoppers become preoccupied with spending, devoting significant time and resources to the activity
- Shopping addiction is characterised by a repetitive pattern of thinking about and planning shopping trips (obsession)
- Shopping can bring joy, excitement, and relief from negative emotions
- After shopping, shoppers may feel disappointment, guilt, regret, anger, or shame
- Compulsive shoppers use shopping to relieve negative emotions, including depression, anxiety, boredom, anger, and self-criticism. Unfortunately, the escape is short-lived
How to Deal with Shopping Addiction
Overcoming any addiction necessitates learning new ways of dealing with the stress and distress of daily life. This can be done independently, but counselling or therapy is often beneficial.
In the meantime, there is a lot you can do to mitigate the adverse effects of compulsive spending and bring the problem under control. Creating a spending plan can be an excellent first step.
Other steps you can take that may help are:
- Develop alternative coping strategies: Finding new ways to spend your free time is critical to breaking the shopping cycle to feel better about yourself
- Ask for help from others: If someone else in your family can handle shopping for necessities like food and household items, it can be beneficial to delegate the task to them, at least temporarily, while you seek assistance
- Limit access to credit and cash: Avoid using credit cards and keep emergency cash on hand to prevent impulse purchases
When to Seek Help
Treatment options for compulsive shopping include medication, self-help books, groups, financial counselling, and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).
Some of the personality traits associated with the “shopaholic” personality are favourable for developing and responding well to a therapeutic relationship, which is the best predictor of success in addiction treatment. It should be noted, however, that while some medications show promise, the results are mixed, and they should not be considered the sole or only treatment.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can help you understand the emotional underpinnings of your shopping addiction. It can also assist you in overcoming your tendency to use shopping as a coping mechanism. These are critical aspects of healing from this perplexing condition.
Your relationships may have suffered as a result of your excessive shopping. Psychological support can also assist you in making amends and rebuilding trust with those whom your actions may have harmed. Therapy may also help deepen your relationships by teaching you how to connect with others in non-monetary ways.
Shopping addiction can be just as upsetting as any other addiction. However, there is hope and support from those around you who can assist you in maintaining financial discipline. Remember that you are valuable, regardless of how much or little you own!
If you or a loved one is struggling with any addiction, visit www.hopetrustindia.com to schedule an instant online appointment with a professional.