Shopping Addiction

For some people, shopping is a necessary evil, to be done only when cupboards are bare and clothes have holes. Others find shopping for a "bargain" to be a fun and energizing activity that brings a sense of accomplishment. Yet, according to a 2006 study reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry, nearly 6% of the population indicate they have difficulty resisting shopping to the point that it creates financial and emotional problems. When people buy items they don't need or can't afford frequently enough to bring negative consequences into their lives, it can be termed an addiction.

Compulsive buying (oniomania) is diagnostically classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision as an impulse control disorder, not otherwise specified. This category includes other compulsive behaviors, such as obsessive Internet use and sexual addictions. The criterion of increasing physiological and emotional arousal prior to the act with a decrease in arousal and feelings of guilt after the act certainly reflects many compulsive shoppers' experiences. Such shoppers state that they have an increasing sense of excitement during shopping, then feel exhilarated with the purchase, and have an expectation of feeling better after returning from their adventure. Most, however, indicate that the aftereffects include feelings of anxiety, remorse, and worry. The intensity of emotions that are activated by a shopping experience helps explain the difficulty in managing the impulse.

Another criterion for the diagnosis of an impulse control or addictive disorder is the recurrent failure to resist doing the behavior even though to continue to do so has become harmful to one's life. Many compulsive buyers indicate that their efforts to stop the behavior are frequently unsuccessful even as negative consequences increase. Continual spending in the face of financial problems, marital distress, guilty feelings, and irritable behavior at work and home confirm compulsive shopping's classification as an addiction.

Individuals with an addiction look to their substance or behavior of choice to feel better. Although compulsive shoppers might celebrate a good event in their life by buying a special item, they are more likely to go on a spree when they are feeling down. The distraction of shopping allows feelings of loneliness, depression, and anger to be temporarily dissipated and ignored. Many feel a rush of excitement when they are "on the hunt," and the immediate gratification of buying can be fulfilling and create a sense of relief. This relief from negative feelings is intensified by the thrill of having something new to enjoy.

The ability to temporarily change one's mood when feeling sad or bored can become quite enticing. The fantasy world that is created when shopping adds to its addictive quality. Similar to gambling, shopping often provides opportunities for a person to feel "special." The relationship that develops between the shopper and the salesperson is onesided but intimate. The salesperson waits on the shopper, shows respect, listens, and attempts to find things that please the shopper. The sense of importance and significance that such attention can create in the shopper counters negative feelings and adds to his or her self-esteem. To complete the social transaction and the aggrandized sense of self, the shopper makes the purchase. Many shoppers report the sense of pressure they feel to complete this interaction with the salesperson. Buying the items also supports their new, idealized sense of self.

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