Shopping Tips Online

I have made jokes about needing “retail therapy.” I have shopped for comfort when I have felt depressed. I have justified buying something expensive because “it spoke to me.” (Okay, not literally.) Am I a “shopaholic?”

This may seem like a strange topic for a “Shopping Tips” blog. After all, this site exists to bring you news about the retail industry, show you where to find cool stuff, and help you enjoy your shopping experiences. But, there is a serious side to shopping that can and does affect millions of people every year, and that is a real addiction to spending money.

According to an article on WebMD, compulsive spending is a serious addiction that can destroy a person’s finances and relationships.

“Compulsive shopping and spending are defined as inappropriate, excessive, and out of control,” says Donald Black, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. “Like other addictions, it basically has to do with impulsiveness and lack of control over one’s impulses. In America, shopping is embedded in our culture; so often, the impulsiveness comes out as excessive shopping.”

Here are some questions to ask yourself –
1. Am I spending over my budget? If you are spending more than you make, but keep going until you are in financial trouble, you may have a problem.
2. Can I keep myself from spending? If you go shopping for one thing but can’t keep yourself from buying 10, you may have a problem.
3. Do I have to shop 365 days a year? If you’re spending compulsively year-round, not just a one-time spending spree, you may have a problem.
4. Am I hiding stuff or lying about it? If you are hiding your purchases because you’re scared of what others will say, or if you have secret accounts, you may have a problem.
5. Do I act out of guilt? If you feel guilty and take things back, or if your guilt triggers another shopping spree, you may have a problem.
6. Is my shopping and spending hurting my relationships? If your shopping leads to coverups or deception that are affecting your relationships with family or friends, you may have a problem.
7. Am I out of control? If you have developed a pattern of spending, with negative consequences, and you are no longer in control of your actions when you shop, then you may have a problem.

Shopping can be fun and rewarding, but not if it’s an addiction. If you feel that you, a friend or family member are affected by this problem, there are many qualified resources to help. Start with the WebMD article, then consider a preliminary psychiatric evaluation, or join a recovery program designed for compulsive spending. With the help of mental health professionals and debt counseling services, these destructive behaviors can be changed, and spending can be brought back under control.

Shopaholics, Shopping Addiction, Compuslive Spending, WebMD, Debt Counseling