One addiction that hasn’t been discussed in class yet is the addiction of shopping. This might seem like a joke or not taking serious but there are people who are compulsive spender and act on impulse which can lead to problems and issues in marriages, relationships, or even psychological issues. Here are some typical behaviors of compulsive shoppers:
Shopping or spending money as a result of feeling disappointed, angry or scared
Shopping or spending habits causing emotional distress in one's life
Having arguments with others about one's shopping or spending habits
Feeling lost without credit cards
Buying items on credit that would not be bought with cash
Feeling a rush of euphoria and anxiety when spending money
Feeling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed or confused after shopping or spending money
Lying to others about purchases made or how much money was spent
Thinking excessively about money
Spending a lot of time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending
Four or more of these behaviors can lead to possible problems. If we really look at these behaviors they are similar to those of substance addiction. For example, shopping as a result of feeling disappointed sounds similar to alcohol abuse as well as the next one which is spending causing emotional distress which we know drug and alcohol abuse can lead to. Like any addiction, shopaholics soon find that compulsive shopping takes away more than it gives back. The sort of things that shopaholics often experience is shopping to improve mood, getting a good feeling when making a purchase, but feeling bad soon after, posessing many items that have never been used or worn, suffering with a large and increasing debt, but still shopping compulsively, feeling depressed after a big shopping trip. This topic is especially personal to me and is something that I am currently struggling with and also seeking forms of therapy and counseling for. I feel that this topic should be brought up more and given more exposure because I’m sure that this is more common in our society then what is being presented.
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