Being a shopaholic

How to Find Help Treating a
Shopaholic
◦ Giving in to the occasional impulse buy is normal
◦ the majority of people enjoy shopping.
◦ you are likely tempted to dash off to the mall to buy items you don’t really need.
◦ Being constantly exposed to shopping ads on TV and the Internet makes things even
worse. If you think you or a loved one is showing the telltale signs of compulsive buying
or shopping addiction – seek treatment before the situation worsens.

3.

Shopping Addiction Symptoms,
Causes and Effects
◦ A shopping addict is someone who shops compulsively and who
may feel like they have no control over their behavior.

4.

Are There Different Types of Shopping
or Spending Addictions?
There are several different types of shopaholics, and they are as follows:
◦ Compulsive shopaholics who shop when they are feeling emotional distress
◦ Trophy shopaholics who are always shopping for the perfect item
◦ Shopaholics who want the image of being a big spender and love flashy items
◦ Bargain seekers who purchase items they don’t need because they are on sale
◦ Bulimic shoppers who get caught in a vicious cycle of buying and returning
◦ Collectors who don’t feel complete unless they have one item in each color or every
piece of a set

5.

What Causes an Addiction to
Shopping?
◦ According to Ruth Engs from Indiana University, some people develop shopping
addictions because they essentially get addicted to how their brain feels while
shopping. As they shop, their brain releases endorphins and dopamine, and over time,
these feelings become addictive. A professor in applied health sciences, Engs claims
that 10 to 15 percent of the population may be predisposed to these feelings.

6.

What Are the Signs of a Shopaholic?
◦ In some cases, it may be difficult to tell if you are, or a loved one is, a shopaholic. Many
people adore shopping, and many people also spend too much money while
engaging in this activity. It is important to note that going a shopping spree once in a
while does not mean you are a shopping addict. However, there are several signs and
symptoms shopping addicts display that you may want to look for.

7.

Emotional Symptoms of a Shopping
Addiction
◦ Like all addicts, shopping addicts may try to hide their addiction, and if a loved one is
addicted to shopping, they may try to hide it from you. If you hide credit card bills,
shopping bags or receipts, you may be a shopaholic. In some cases, shopaholics may
try to hide their addiction by lying about just one element of it. For instance, a person
may admit they went shopping, but they may lie about how much they spent.

8.

Some of the other emotional
symptoms you may notice from a
shopaholic include the following:
◦ Spending more than they can afford
◦ Shopping as a reaction to feeling angry or depressed
◦ Shopping as a way to feel less guilty about a previous shopping spree
◦ Harming relationships due to spending or shopping too much
◦ Losing control of the shopping behavior

9.

Understanding Compulsive Shopping
The irresistible desire to shop is known as compulsive buying disorder or oniomania.
According to a research by World Psychiatry, 5.8 percent of Americans are afflicted with
the disorder, with women comprising 80 percent of the total number of affected
individuals. Commonly known as shopaholics, these people are overly focused on buying
and suffer from disruptive anxiety that can only be relieved by shopping. People with
compulsive buying disorder are also likely to have other mental issues, including mood
disorders, anxiety and substance addictions.

10.

How to Diagnose an Addiction to
Shopping (or Shopaholism)
Ruling out normal buying behavior is important.
Given that the US and other wealthy industrialized
countries have citizens whose leisure time is often
spent on shopping, spending a lot of time
shopping does not necessarily mean a shopping
addiction.
The holiday season, for instance, is often a
common time for people to splurge on things that
are normally outside their budgets.

11.

How to Recognize a Shopaholic
Identifying if someone is affected by a shopping problem can be achieved by referring to the signs listed below.
Manifesting four or more of these behaviors possibly points to shopaholism:
•Spending over your budget
•Buying more than what is needed
•Keeping the excessive buy a secret from friends and family
•Returning bought items because of guilt
•Alienating relationships due to a shopping preoccupation
•Preferring the use of credit cards to cash
•Shopping in order to eliminate feelings of anger, depression or loneliness
•Arguing frequently with other people about your shopping habits
•Experiencing guilt and shame after a spending spree
•Mulling over money matters
•Delaying paying bills and opening new credit accounts to allow more shopping

12.

Learning to Cope With Shopping
Addiction
◦ Positive encouragement is a great way to help the addict follow constructive advice.
◦ Let the person realize that self-worth is not related to the items that they buy.
◦ A real social connection with other people helps to reduce this problem.

13.

How to Treat Shopping Addicts
◦ current treatments involve a couple of sophisticated approaches.
◦ For instance, antidepressants may be prescribed to shopping addicts who have also
been diagnosed with underlying depression.
◦ Therapy, on the other hand, involves addressing maladaptive behaviors and cognitive
processes.
◦ Support groups and credit counseling are also used in dealing with shopaholism.

14.

Home task
Write an opinion essay on the topic
‘To shop or not to shop?’.
Express your point of view
(100-150 words)

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