Causes for Compulsive Shopping
All addictions have the same basic symptoms. Obsession, compulsion, loss of control and continued use in the face of negative consequences are all hallmarks of addiction. People can develop addictions to substances, behaviors or activities. Some of these behaviors or activities may be normal, everyday occurrences such as eating or shopping, which can make it much harder to determine if there is a problem with addiction.
There are several indicative behaviors that can identify a person as a shopping addict. Engaging in any “shopping binge” creates a feeling of euphoria or a “high” for the addicted individual. Addictions are two-pronged. On one end, the addiction is physical. The individual shops to get the rush of brain chemicals needed to feel high. On the other end, this type of addiction is psychological. The addict seeks to purchase items to help them cope with life, and intense anxiety is felt in the absence of their addictive activity. A shopping addict will engage in their addiction even when it’s become obvious that spending is against their own best interests.
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Shopping Addiction
The struggles of a shopaholic are often played for comedic effect, like in the recent hit movie and novel of the same name, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Then there was Sex & the City’s Carrie Bradshaw and her compulsion for designer shoes, whether or not she could afford them. For those battling a shopping addiction, though, the urge to splurge is anything but funny.
According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, “Compulsive shoppers had positive feelings associated with buying, and they also tended to hide purchases, return items, have more family arguments and possessed more maxed-out credit cards.”
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