Shopping addiction goes by many other names such as oniomania, compulsive buying disorder CBD , buying-shopping disorder BSD and pathological buying. Compulsive buying has significantly risen in developed economies and through the evolution of online shopping. This condition has a lot in common with other impulse control disorders like sex addiction and gambling addiction , he adds.
Compulsive shoppers may also experience blackout episodes similar to alcohol-related blackouts, in which the buyer does not recall making purchases.
Pay attention if you feel your spending is out of control. Signs of a shopping compulsion include:. Therapy and support groups can help if you think you may have a problem, Dr.
Bea says — as well as education. The focus should be on exploring the underlying causes, paired with the right kind of therapy. The bottom line is that although behaviors that create excitement can bring us happiness, moderation is the difference between happiness and compulsiveness. Bea suggests. But does shopping really help us to feel better? Retail therapy is proven to work — but is there a negative psychological cost?
Photo by Dean Drobot on Shutterstock. Lead researchers Meloy and Atalay of a study on retail therapy explain that therapeutic shopping can be considered a strategic effort to improve our mood.
The results of the study prove that the idea of buying items to make yourself feel better window shopping improves your mood as much as actually purchasing the items do. Sadness is a situational experience that results from things we sometimes have no control over.
The choices involved in retail therapy offer restored personal control over your environment, which makes us feel better in certain situations. It all depends on your financial situation, explains mental health professional Crystal Raypole. If you maintain purchases that are within your spending budget, you are not likely to see the negative impacts of that in your life. Amy Morin , LCSW, a psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do , says that shopping can make a great coping mechanism for a number of reasons, not least of all because you're treating yourself.
That temporary boost might also have something to do with the fact that shopping gives us a sense of control, of regulating what we take into our lives. When the answer is shopping, it means you can go out, pick something up and bring it home, "it gives you sort of a false sense of control in the moment," she adds.
Plus, shopping can be something you do that's social — whether you do it with friends or you do it as a way of getting yourself out of the house and around other people.
All of this is why a shopping spree can feel so, well, therapeutic. A study published in the journal Psychology and Marketing suggested that retail therapy can actually be an effective way to improve a bad mood because treating yourself really can cheer you up, even if briefly. Though it also suggested that shopping while you're in a bad mood can make you more impulsive when it comes to spending.
If you've ever racked up a hefty bill after a bad day at work or a break-up, this probably isn't news to you. In a time when they feel they can't do anything about their circumstances, people turn to shopping to exercise autonomy.
While retail therapy is an effective way to improve your mood and exercise control over your environment, it's not always the best coping mechanism. After all, you don't have an endless supply of money, even if your problems seem to go on forever.
Many people have gone into debt thanks to retail therapy addiction, so you want to exercise restraint. Fortunately, you can get the mental and emotional benefits of treating yourself without busting your budget. Here are some strategies to try next time you're feeling down:. Have you budgeted spending for a new dress for an upcoming wedding or a gift for your friend's birthday?
Use your mood to tackle those to-do items and feel better. When you need some retail therapy, limit yourself to buying things you already planned to purchase. That way, you still get the experience of making a decision and you don't overspend. This may take a little self-restraint, but it could still help you feel better.
For the best results, get something for yourself you planned to buy. The Journal of Consumer Psychology study indicated that hypothetical shopping was also effective at improving mood.
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