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Compulsive shopping is an addiction that overrides a person’s ability to consider the consequences of shopping. It can lead to financial ruin and damage relationships. Help is available through support groups and treatment facilities. Men and women are equally likely to become addicted to shopping.
A compulsive shopper is someone who is addicted to shopping, in much the same way one might be addicted to gambling or alcohol. The term compulsive shopper is used because a person has a compulsion or need to shop that overrides the person’s ability to consider the consequences of the shopping.
Sometimes the term compulsive shopper can also be applied to people who make unnecessary last-minute purchases. In fact, the store’s merchandise often appeals to shoppers who might be making a last-minute purchase. Items lying around a cashier can lead the shopper to make a quick decision about adding a few extra things to the cart. Grocery stores, for example, usually ship one across a line with colorful magazines, razors, chewing gum, and a few other items you may not need.
However, the occasional purchase of an extra magazine at the checkout is very different from a shopping addiction. Like all addictions, the compulsive shopper gets a temporary “high” from the purchase. Generally, the mood elevation is short-lived and re-encourages the behavior so that the same “high” can be achieved.
This is a vicious cycle, because often the compulsive shopper is wracked with guilt between excursions. Also, the more the habit grows, the more likely the compulsive shopper will start getting into debt. In general, the compulsion to shop trumps practical concerns and can send people into financial ruin. A compulsive shopper can run out of credit cards quickly, fail to pay for things like food, rent or utilities, or start stealing if there is no more money to shop.
What a compulsive shopper buys usually doesn’t matter. Also, until recently, most people believed that shopping addicts were mostly women. Studies show that men are equally likely to become addicted to shopping.
Addiction tends to arise from “above” and from a deep-seated need to replace something that is missing in one’s life. They may lack a natural, healthy high that comes from good relationships, the pleasure of raising children, having friendships, or performing well at work. Thus the person looks outside of his or her current existence for a way to mask the pain of lack of such things. Some turn to alcohol, drugs or gambling, while others turn to shopping.
Compulsive shopping is a tough addiction to overcome as people need to buy basic things like food and clothes. So a person cannot completely eliminate shopping. There is help, however, for the compulsive shopper. There are anonymous taker groups and many treatment facilities that help people deal with any type of addictive behavior.
Seeking help is really important, because compulsive shopping can often lead people into life-threatening situations where they lose all their possessions. In addition, compulsive shopping can irreparably damage relationships with spouses or children.
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