Spending and Shopping Addiction

It is estimated that there are 15,000,000 Shopaholics in the U.S. and that the U.S. credit card debt is greater than six hundred billion dollars.

An individual who is suffering from a spending addiction pays whatever it takes to get whatever he/she wants. With the heavy use and ease of obtaining credit cards, an individual with this addiction believes that he/she can go on forever. There is a sense of control when spending money on everything that an individual desires. In many cases, the purchases are not necessarily useful or needed. This form of behavior can eventually lead to financial ruin and bankruptcy.

Beneath all addictions is a longing for immediate gratification--to feel good, powerful, worthy of admiration, and problem-free--and an insistence on ignoring the long-range, self-destructive implications of the behavior.

The dictionary defines an addiction as devoting or surrendering oneself to something habitually or obsessively that impairs the performance of a vital function. Addiction causes you to lose your sense of balance and rationality and to engage in unhealthy behavior. Addictive behavior commonly provides a high level of satisfaction. It creates an environment of need in the individual that cannot seem to be satisfied without that activity or substance. If an individual does not take control, eventually, the addictive behavior controls him/her.

Shopping and spending addiction is an impulse control disorder and has features similar to other addictive disorders without involving use of an intoxicating drug. If you suffer from a spending addiction, one out-of-control shopping spree is never enough. Neighborhood malls and Internet shopping sites possess a mesmerizing magnetic appeal for you. In spite of negative consequences that inevitably catch up with you--such as guilt, debt, or feeling ashamed and secretive about your compulsion to buy things--you find yourself on yet another shopping binge, charging or writing checks for things you don’t really need and may never even use. You may lie about how much you've spent (to yourself and to those close to you), conceal price tags and receipts, and do financial gymnastics in an attempt to juggle your finances and keep up with monthly payment demands.

A spending addiction or shopping addiction is an attempt to try to “buy” happiness, to feel admired, to feel accepted, to feel empowered, and to push away troubling feelings, like self-doubt or self-disappointment.

The signs and symptoms of compulsive spending addiction or shopping addiction are very similar to other addictions such as sexual addiction, Internet addiction, and food addiction.

Behaviors typical of compulsive shopping and spending include the following:

• Shopping as a result of feeling blue, disappointed, depressed,angry or scared
• Shopping or spending habits causing emotional distress in one's life
• Having arguments with others about one's shopping or spending habits
• Feeling lost without credit cards
• Feeling on edge, agitated, or irritable when you haven't been able to buy something
• Spending more than you can afford
• Buying items on credit that would not be bought with cash
• Feeling a rush of euphoria and anxiety when spending money
• Feeling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed or confused after shopping or spending money
• Lying to others about purchases made or how much money was spent
• Thinking excessively about money
• Spending a lot of time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending
• Spending more time and/or money buying on the Internet, in catalogues, or on the shopping channels than you want to

Spending addiction is a symptom that there are negative feelings you’re trying to avoid. Indulging yourself in shopping helps numb these troubling feelings, at least for a while. Every time you try to stop the pattern of compulsive spending, you may find you have to deal with distressing feelings and the panic and fear that results.  Even though you may have promised yourself you were going to really curb your spending, in an attempt to feel better fast, you go on yet another shopping binge.

There are many social and cultural factors that tend to increase the addictive potential of shopping and spending. The easy availability of credit and the material focus of society in general encourage people to accumulate possessions now and worry about financial responsibility later.  Society places a strong emphasis on one's outer appearance and many media personalities promote spending money to achieve a certain look that will bring about happiness. In addition, the accessibility of purchasing has been made easier with the arrival of online shopping and television programs devoted to buying goods 24 hours a day.

The shopping and spending activity itself is associated with a feeling of happiness and power which is immediately gratifying. When you are buying, charging, ordering, you do feel better for a few minutes, but, it usually does not last long.  The after effects of remorse and guilt drive the spender back to purchase again to be able to achieve that brief but intense emotional high. Research has shown that many compulsive shoppers and spenders also suffer from depression and other mood disorders, substance abuse, or eating disorders. As with any addiction, the person becomes dependent on the behavior to relieve negative feelings that cause them distress and discomfort.

Compulsive shopping or spending may result in interpersonal, occupational, family and financial problems in one's life. In many ways the consequences of this behavior are similar to that of any other addiction.

Impairment in relationships may occur as a result of excessive spending and efforts to cover up debt or purchases. Persons who engage in compulsive shopping or spending may become pre-occupied with that behavior and spend less and less time with important people in their lives. They may experience anxiety or depression as a result of the spending or shopping which may interfere with work or school performance.

Financial problems may occur if money is borrowed or there is excessive use of credit to make purchases. Often the extent of the financial damage is discovered only after the shopper or spender has accumulated a large debt that necessitates a drastic change in lifestyle to resolve.

Recognizing you may have an addiction is the first step towards recovery.  Addictive behavior is treatable. If you truly want to put a stop to how your spending habits are taking over your life, therapy can provide insight that will help you un-learn counter-productive behavior and help you develop new coping skills that will allow you to find a sense of genuine happiness and self-contentment.

Overcoming an addiction is basically a decision that an individual must make on his/her own. After identifying that the addiction you can seek help from a variety of sources.  With help you can look at what motivates you to buy things and how your spending habits affect the core quality of your life, which is to say, how it shapes the way you relate to those close to you, how you imagine you are regarded by others, and how you really feel about yourself.

Feelings of emptiness, low self-esteem, insecurity, boredom, loneliness, or the pursuit of ideal image can cause people to buy compulsively. But managing these feelings and mood states by buying compulsively can have extremely serious consequences and significantly erode quality of life.

As with most other addictive, impulse control, or compulsive disorders, there is a wide range of effective treatment options including individual psychotherapy, group and couples therapy, and self help programs such as Debtors Anonymous.  Psychotropic medications, including antidepressants and mood stabilizers, can also be helpful in treating compulsive buying.

The major premise of therapy for compulsive buying is the idea that insight alone will not stop the behavior. All stages in the compulsive buying cycle must be identified: the triggers, the feelings, the dysfunctional thoughts, the behaviors, the consequences of the behavior, as well as the meaning of the compulsive buying.

Individual therapy for compulsive buying runs the gamut from traditional psychotherapy, with an almost exclusive focus on the underlying dynamics within a historical context, to a very strict focus on the here and now of the problem, with little attention to underlying dynamics.

Couples therapy for compulsive buying can be an extremely important treatment modality since many couples act as a financial unit and generally blend income as well as spending. Money issues are an intrinsic part of marriage and are often a source of friction that can invade other aspects of the relationship.

The more you understand about spending addiction and other addictions, the better you can cope with them and with related problems. Reaching out for information and assistance can help you live a healthier and more fulfilling life. People who suffer from a spending addiction or other addiction related problems can get help from a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker. For more information about a spending addiction and/or other addiction, please click on the linked websites listed below.

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