Everyone shops, some people shop more than others, and there are some people that can fit snugly under the term shopaholic. A shopping addiction might seem harmless, maybe because a lot of people in our society partake in buying unnecessary items. It’s hard not to when consumer culture envelopes our lives. Yet, being a little careless when it comes to buying items such as clothes or makeup is not seen a big deal even though the reasons behind buying frequently can often be serious. A quick google search brings up words such as addiction, obsession and compulsion. Shopping needlessly and wastefully might hide a bigger problem.
If you haven’t seen the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic here’s a refresher. The protagonist Rebecca loves to shop and this shopping turns into an addiction. She uses up credit cards, can’t pay her bills and a debt collector follows her around to get her to pay. She also hides what she buys because of the guilt from spending all her money and eventually lets down her friends and family as she continues her self-destructing shopping addiction. It’s a good movie despite the seriousness of the topic. If this movie wasn’t a romantic comedy it could also fall under horror. Imagine if this plot actually happened to you, now that would be scary.
According to Ruth Engs, former professor at Indiana University of Health Science, shopping is an addiction when people believe that shopping will make them feel better. For shopping addicts shopping can relieve anxiety, negative feelings, and fill a void. People also shop for approval, excitement and a need to gain control of their lives. Engs notes a shopping addiction, called Shopoholism or Compulsive buying disorder is similar to alcoholism, gambling and overeating.
Like other addictions, when feeling low or upset shopaholics will buy to feel a high. It’s important to note not all shopaholics buy shoes or clothes. Some people with this addiction only buy certain items, or go on binges during certain times of the year such as the holiday season when they are feeling especially lonely, depressed, and anxious. Men also have this addiction but the majority who suffer are women.
Shopaholics Anonymous online explains certain checklist points that many shoppers experience.
· Shopping as soon as you experience negative emotions such as anger, disappointment or fear
· Your spending habits are disturbing to you and create conflict
· Shopping makes you feel both happy and anxious
· Shopping feels risky and illicit
· Afterwards you feel guilty and embarrassed
· You never actually use what you buy
· You lie to your loved ones about what you buy and how much you spend
· You can barely pay your bills
· You excessively think about money
As a compulsive shopper it takes a lot of willpower to stop yourself from these habits. Those with compulsive buying disorder are endlessly empty, looking for something to fill them, and finding material things that placate negative feelings for a short while. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to own everything and it might even be impossible to find that one item you know will satisfy you. As soon as you buy the perfect item another one appears.
If you’re like me and you feel as if you never have enough then you might be a shopaholic. I will never feel satisfied until I get that feeling that comes with a new item, or finding the right item that you know will fit right in with your outfits. For me I probably own a hundred t-shirts but I always need one more. I own blue jeans but do I have black jeans? There is something inside me telling me I need a light wash pair, and a dark wash pair and while I’m at it I need high-waisted, low-waisted, mom-jeans, girlfriend jeans, jeans with rips, jeans without rips, capris, shorts. I need those jeans with the embroidery on the pockets, or the ones that scream date night, or those other jeans that also scream date night. I do this until I spend my entire paycheck in one day at the mall. Do I have money saved in the bank? Nope but I sure do have 100 shirts to wear for every and any occasion.
Those who have this addiction are encouraged to seek help. Often buying excessively and compulsively can lead to major problems. Spending large amounts of money you don’t have, hiding the items you bought out of guilt from loved ones, not having the money to pay bills and more can all lead to a very stressful and debilitating life.
Before you laugh or deny outrageous spending habits in someone as simply being clothes obsessed or loving a good sale remember that there might be more to their spending than they let on or they themselves are aware of.
Shopaholics Anonymous at http://www.shopaholicsanonymous.org/ can offer additional support for this addiction as well as Addiction Therapists in your area of residence.
Works Cited
Engs, Ruth. HOW CAN I MANAGE COMPULSIVE SHOPPING and SPENDING ADDICTION (SHOPOHOLISM). 2010, Indiana University. http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/hints/shop.html
“The Shulman Center: Addiction counseling – Shoplifting, Compulsive Shopping, Employee Theft and Hoarding addictions.” The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending & Hoarding, www.shopaholicsanonymous.org/