Shopping addiction: Are you a compulsive shopper?

Shopping addiction. Concept.

The shopping addiction , also known as oniomanía is a psychological disorder characterized in that the individual has an uncontrollable urge to make new purchases. The compulsive shopper makes numerous purchases in a thoughtless and frequent way to alleviate the feeling of discomfort.

The Compulsive Shopper: An Illustrative Example.

Saturday afternoon: Ana prepares for an important date. After examining her wardrobe carefully, she deduces that no, that there is no outfit suitable enough for such an occasion. She feels discouraged: “I have a full closet, but there is nothing that can bail me out and I cannot go anyway.” You decide to “go out for a moment” to buy something suitable just for this occasion, because you have decided to start saving for that vacation in Cancun that you long for. And so she began her particular journey through the capital’s fashion stores: “These pants would be perfect for the occasion, and these bracelet shoes would look so good with my new skirt… They are so beautiful that they are priceless. There will be time to save! ”.

Ana, happy about her new acquisitions, decides to go to the checkout but something catches her attention: “And that party dress? It may not be appropriate for this occasion, but… an event can always come up for me and you have to be prepared, I can’t let it escape being on sale! ” . And so you end up spending a considerably higher amount than you had initially calculated. Of course, taking all these products is not a problem: “I can always return it if I regret it.” Suddenly, Ana is just in time for the appointment, even late, since two or three hours have passed, but what would her appointment become if she were inappropriate?

What is oniomania? What leads the person to become addicted to shopping?

Today, we live in a society in which consumption is the order of the day. We go relatively frequently to a fashion store or to a shopping center looking to buy new products: more modern, more natural, more fashionable … “More …” but never “too much.” It seems we don’t have enough. Perhaps it is due to a fusion of the new consumer values ​​together with the three thousand daily advertisements that we see on average a day, advertisements that desperately try to capture our attention to create needs that we do not have, making us believe that this way we will achieve happiness or that we will be more admired, so that, finally, we make the decision to acquire a certain product using that 85-95% of irrationality that we use in purchasing decisions. Nevertheless,

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the compulsive buyer is forced to acquire articles in an illogical and uncontrolled way. Through this excessive purchase the subject seeks to reduce the feeling of discomfort . This, obviously, ends up affecting all areas of the person’s life.

Reasons that can cause shopping addiction.

There are several reasons why a person can develop oniomania:

• Out of habit : By going shopping, the person gets used to leading that rhythm of life which is later difficult for them to give up, since they already occupy a large part of their leisure time and have come to define them as a person (“fashion victim” , “It girl” or “it boy”). It could be said that such a person has a status and a lifestyle that they must maintain.
• By avoidance : In this case, shopping is used as an escape route from self-critical thoughts or negative feelings such as frustration, stress, anxiety, sadness or boredom. This means that the origin is in the emotional imbalance, resorting to shopping as a way of coping with problems, acting as an emotional substitute for unmet needs.

In any case, if the compulsive buyer is characterized by something, it is by an impulse control problem , where he tries to improve his self-esteem, show his purchasing power and / or satisfy his emotional needs through the purchase.

When does a person become a compulsive shopper?

It is important to note that addiction / non-addiction is a continuum, it is not a dichotomy where one is addicted or not addicted, there are degrees of shopping addiction . In this way, a normal and habitual behavior such as shopping can become a problem when it is maintained despite the inconveniences that it entails (debt, family arguments …) or what is suffered by not having it (abstinence) . Over time, the person loses their ability to control their behavior, turning the object of addiction into a constant, almost obsessive desire, thus losing interest in other activities.

It should be noted that this behavior has a biological explanation, since during the purchase process dopamine (neurotransmitter related to motivation, pleasure and desire) is released in the brain area of ​​the nucleus accumbens, so that the person feels a strong sensation reward, as with the abuse of cocaine or sex. Thus, the compulsive shopper feels a great adrenaline and euphoria during the purchase, but this effect lasts for a short time, giving way to feelings of guilt and shame.

What is the characteristic behavior of the compulsive shopper?

• You have obsessive thoughts and high levels of anxiety with the urgent desire to buy: “I need to buy when I go out to be calm.”
• You experience a desire to resist the purchase and a feeling of loss of control: “I don’t want to buy, but I can’t stop . ” He rushes when buying.
• He sees shopping as a way to relieve daily stress, being the only thing that manages to relax him after an argument.
• The well-being and relief experienced after the purchase bring with it feelings of guilt : “I should not have done it, I have spent too much money . “
• It occurs throughout the year at least once a week , not only during specific periods such as sales.
• He spends his free time mainly shopping or visiting shopping centers.
• Acquires an excessive amount of superfluous or useless objects , sometimes not congruent with their own taste, which generates regret.
• They lose interest in what they have acquired, being able to accumulate it, hide it (for fear of being branded as irrational), give it away, return it, sell it or throw it away. Many times it does not get to release it, claiming, for example, that it has already lost value.
• Receive critical messages from family and friends about the problem.
• He ends up going into debt , because he persists in buying unnecessary products despite having little money left.
• You can buy items for yourself or exclusively for others.
• The reward is given by the act of buying, not the object purchased.

Why can’t the person stop shopping?

Oniomania is defined as the irrepressible need to shop to feel calm. However, such reassurance or relief is fleeting , as guilt, shame, and other anxiety-generating thoughts quickly follow . Unfortunately, the person only finds relief by relapsing into excess consumption. In this way, a vicious circle is created and, over time, the ability to control one’s behavior is lost, turning the object of addiction into a constant, almost obsessive desire, thus losing interest in other activities. Although the person knows that continuing to consume is bad for them, they cannot stop doing so, because they are involved in a dynamic from which they are not able to get out, since they are only able to find relief through shopping.

Over time, this problem worsens, as tolerance makes the person have to consume more and more to achieve the same emotion . If the person decides not to consume, they go through a withdrawal syndrome that they rarely manage to overcome without falling back into consumption. So much so that, in this type of case, there may even be abstinence episodes of years .

In this situation, the help of the professional may be advisable, since cognitive-behavioral therapy has shown great effectiveness when working with:

• Thoughts : Irrational beliefs such as “I need to shop to feel good” are replaced by healthier ones.
• Emotions : Self-control is encouraged, which has an impact on an increase in self-esteem and personal satisfaction.
• Behaviors : Alternative pleasurable activities are proposed, as well as various guidelines that help not to relapse into abusive buying (the latter are detailed later).

What is the psychological profile of the compulsive buyer?

This addiction is found between 2 to 8% of the population in both men and women, although it is more frequent in women (80%) around thirty years of age regardless of social class because at that age it is usual to be emancipated and begin to have a more comfortable economy, although this problematic behavior can begin to develop from the age of eighteen.

In addition, according to sex, there is a tendency to consume one type of product or another: while women prefer more clothes, jewelry and beauty products, men prefer electronic devices and tools for the home. It should be noted that a large part of shopping addicts prefer to do it online and alone , since this process of searching and selecting different products by stores anywhere in the world gives added value to the purchase, contributing to the well-being for a well done purchase it is initially superior.

Also, a family pattern is usually followed , so it is likely that several relatives have this problem or an anxiety disorder. In this sense, it should be noted that an education devoid of limits , where the child’s whims have been taken care of immediately, makes the minor internalize a life model in which postponing the desire is not considered as an alternative.

With regard to personality, it can occur in extroverts as a way of expressing their personality, to reinforce their individuality and / or improve their status or attractiveness. It can also occur in insecure, low self-esteem or potentially depressed people as a way of coping with negative feelings or gaining acceptance in their social circle.

Is shopping addiction related to other pathologies?

Compulsive buying can serve as a way to cover up another set of problems, thus becoming a symptom of the main problem. In fact, depression, anxiety, eating disorders (especially bulimia), substance abuse, or kleptomania (occasionally) are not uncommon . It could also manifest itself as a symptom of a manic or hypomanic state of bipolar disorder , in which the person is especially euphoric and does not reflect before acting, even putting their own safety at risk. Finally, it could occur in borderline , avoidant or obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. It is estimated that comorbidity, that is, the presence of any of the above disorders together with oniomania, is more than 60%.

What consequences does compulsive shopping have in the life of the individual?

Obviously, maintaining an economically unsustainable lifestyle affects almost all areas of life , leading to a series of negative consequences at different levels:

• Medical : Hypertension.
• Psychological : Stress, anxiety, feeling of inner emptiness, depression, changes in mood, inability to value oneself except through products, thus damaging self-esteem.
• Family : Setting a bad example to children about managing finances, arguing with your partner about finances.
• Social : Lying to those close to you with the possible consequences that it may entail, blaming others (or yourself) for not having money to lead the standard of living you want, boasting about material things and starting to look down on others. those who lead a more modest lifestyle.
• Labor : Increase in overtime (taking time away from your family, leisure and rest).
• Economic : Accumulation of debts, lack of savings.

What can be done to end the shopping addiction?

Obviously it is not a simple process, because after this addiction there may be feelings of emptiness, sadness, need for acceptance and other factors that lead to compulsive shopping. The person involved should be aware that they will have to make an effort to carry out a series of changes in their lifestyle, changes that could possibly be more easily maintained by working with a psychologist their self-esteem and impulsivity, factors that can influence their process of purchase decision.

Steps to stop being a compulsive shopper.

• Use a budget , based on your own income and expenses, including money for leisure and incidentals. Remember that not meeting your budget can only be detrimental.
• Do not buy hastily , compare prices without forgetting that the solution is not to buy more but to spend less.
• Pay off the balance of the credit cards and then break them . Avoid carrying credit cards or too much money.
• Do not measure your own personal or family success by material things: you are worth more for what you are than for what you have .
• Avoid people who encourage addiction . Do not compete with relatives or acquaintances : life is not a race in which whoever accumulates the most wins. You have to buy according to your own means and not based on what others do.
• Learn to differentiate need from desire: before buying you have to think about what you really need, if that object is going to improve your quality of life. Buy only what is strictly necessary .
• Not worrying about past economic history, not letting the past dictate the current lifestyle : taking back control of the present itself.
• Be honest and talk with the family about the desire to lead a more moderate lifestyle : communicating the decision will strengthen the commitment to change and the desire not to fail.

Other recommendations.

• If you need to buy to feel good, improve your mood or self-esteem, you are trying to fill a void with objects: knowing that material goods never fill up and they never will, you have to be honest with yourself and identify what you want. generates that discomfort and what can be done to solve it .
• Avoid paying attention to advertising and thinking of reasons to save, remember how difficult it is to get money.
• It is advisable to avoid shopping centers or places associated with shopping. Avoid online purchases .
• Cultivate other aspects of life : leisure is not just shopping, now you can schedule activities for which you did not have time.
• Reinforce and nurture your own self-esteem .

Alexa clark

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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