There is nothing wrong with using shopping as a therapeutic method. My friend, obsessively shops before a big test, when she doesn’t feel great, when she is anxious. She shops as a coping mechanism, and to be honest so do I. The feeling of putting things in your cart is so satisfying. Even more so is the feeling when you are at the end of your spree and slowly sort through your cart until the final number is an “acceptable” amount. It makes you feel accomplished even if you have not done anything else all day.
Sometimes it comes to the point where those three-to-five business days before your package arrives where it actually feels tranquil or even makes you giddy with excitement. Either way, at least you don’t feel as anxious anymore, right? However, as much as I support blowing a paycheck on those cute new platform shoes or a sexy mesh top that will definitely get you free drinks at the bar, shopping is unfortunately not always the answer.
At some point, any coping mechanism can become drastically unhealthy. This article is mostly about how fun online shopping is and seeing how much you can fit into your cart before the website glitches out, however, it is also a wake-up call to those who’s “healthy” coping mechanisms have become drastically unhealthy. Do you depend on them to make you feel better? Are you upset when they don’t? Are you participating in them excessively? Are they hurting your body, your bank account or your mental health?
When I am upset, happy, anything, I online shop. I love seeing what is in and out of fashion, I like texting my friends outfit ideas of what I could buy. However, I also recognize that my problems will not be solved by this coping mechanism. This is a reminder to check in on yourself. Is what you’re doing healthy? What are you doing that isn’t and can you change those habits for better behaviors to cope?