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Shopping addiction

   People who "shop till they drop" and run their credit cards up to the limit often have a shopping addiction. They believe that if they shop they will feel better. Compulsive shopping and spending generally makes a person feel worse. It is similar to other addictive behaviors and has some of the same characteristics as drinking problem (alcoholism), gambling and overeating addictions.

   Shopping addiction or spending compulsion can be a seasonal balm for the depression, anxiety and loneliness during the December holiday season. It also occurs when a person has feelings of depression, lonelyness or anger. Shopping and spending will not assure more love, bolster self-esteem or heal the hurts, regrets, stress or the problems of daily living. It generally makes these feelings worse because of the increased financial debt the person is obtaining from compulsive shopping.

  Shopping addiction tends to affect more women than men. Women with this compulsive disorder often have racks of clothes and possessions with the price tags still attached which have never been used. They will go to a shopping store with the intention of buying one or two items and come home with bags and bags of things. In some cases the individuals developing a spending addiction have an emotional "black out" and do not remember even buying the articles. If their family or friends begin to complain about their purchases, they will often hide the things they buy, being in absolute denial about the problem. Because they cannot pay their bills their credit rating suffers and along with this occurs legal, social and relationship  problems, together with collection agencies attempting to get what is owed.

   The main step to recover from shopping addiction is to stop deny that the problem really exists and  to take a walk or exercise when the urge to shop comes on. Also there are counseling and support groups, such as Debtors Anonymous.

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