Getting Help for and Recovering From a Shopping Addiction

With TV shows and movies making light of “shopaholics,” it’s essential to know the facts between enjoying shopping and having a shopping addiction.

Oniomania is the medical name for the obsessive or uncontrollable urge to buy things. Psychiatrists refer to it as compulsive buying disorder (CBD), and it’s also known as compulsive spending and pathological buying. While it is not listed as an addiction within the Manual of Mental Disorders, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4584995/" target="_blank>according to researchers, compulsive buying is similar to other behavioral addictions. It has direct and related links to impulse-control or obsessive-compulsive disorders. With these behavioral disorders, there are severe consequences to addictive behavior, similar to gambling addiction.

Unlike consumers who engage in everyday shopping to acquire needed items, compulsive shoppers buy things to feel better. Shopping releases endorphins, which give us a high. Shopping addicts are continually looking for this high. Researchers have found lower levels of self-esteem among shopping addicts, and they report that compulsive buyers have an “irrational belief such as ‘buying a product will make life better’ and ‘shopping for this item will enhance my self-image.’”

While many of us enjoy shopping, the experience is much more intense for compulsive buyers. They are unable to pass up a “good deal.” Many of the items purchased are never used and are instead collected as memories of a shopping “high.”

Many compulsive shoppers have severe anxiety and can only find relief with a purchase. This compulsive buying avoids the underlying causes of the anxiety, and the relief is temporary. Over time, shopping takes up a significant part of their time as they search for comfort in the shopping experience with higher frequency. This habit can rack up debt quickly as compulsive buyers look for ways to hide their shopping habits.

Other compulsive shopping symptoms include:

• Spending more money than you can afford.
• Using one credit card to pay another.
• Shopping when angry, stressed or depressed.
• Unable to follow limits or lists when shopping.
• Living on the edge of financial stability (barely paying rent or utilities, etc.).
• Writing checks without the necessary funds.
• Hiding purchases from friends and family.
• Feelings of guilt a day after impulse purchases.

A shopping addiction is likely to impact your financial stability. We all must adhere to a budget and live within our means. However, many compulsive buyers are unclear about their financial situation and will continue to shop without thinking of the consequences.

The average American household carries more than $8,000 in credit card debt. For compulsive buyers, this debt can increase exponentially. As the bills pile up, the added stress of falling behind can lead to increased anxiety and depression.

In a search to pay off bills and expenses, compulsive buyers may “borrow” money from friends and family. However, if the cycle of compulsive buying is not stopped, these loans may never be paid off. In extreme cases, borrowing from friends and families turns to stealing. These negative behaviors are detrimental to our relationships with those we love.

Holding debt will weigh on your mind and eventually impact your health. The stress that comes with new bills or calls from a collection agency can wear down your body, both physically and mentally. It’s then harder for your body to fight off illness and takes longer to recover.

It’s important to recognize a shopping addiction early to prevent the severity of the consequences. Seeking treatment early for a shopping addiction enables those affected to address underlying emotional distress and create new opportunities for healing. If you are struggling to resist the impulse to buy or spend money to get a sense of pleasure or gratification, it’s essential to seek expert advice.

Compulsive buying disorder is considered a behavioral addiction, and researchers have found several links between behavioral addictions and substance use. They show similar behavior, including repeating actions despite adverse consequences and the sense of craving before engaging in the behavior.

Like most addictions, there is a link between compulsive buying and mental health. Studies found 70% of patients reported experiencing depression before they became compulsive buyers. There are similar figures for reported anxiety. These mental health concerns lead people to look for pleasure, and many find that relief in addictive behaviors like gambling, substance use or shopping. Therefore anxiety, depression and shopping addiction go hand in hand.

Compulsive buying also has similar characteristics to impulse-control disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Key traits of impulse-control disorders include:

• The conscious desire to resist an impulse but the failure to do so.
• Heightened arousal before the “forbidden” act.
• Gratification after completing the impulsive act.

This is similar to compulsive shoppers who feel a rush before shopping and then intense joy when buying.

Because of the similarities between compulsive spending and other addictive habits, it’s important to recognize a shopping addiction as a serious health concern and to ask for help to recover.

Beating a spending addiction will likely require help from a medical professional or support group. There are multiple ways to approach addiction recovery, depending on your needs and resources.

• Support Groups. Finding those who have also struggled with addiction could make a significant difference in your recovery. There are support groups that meet locally, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, where those battling addiction and in recovery meet to share support and their stories on what works for them.
• Individual Therapy. Counseling services are available for all varieties of addiction and mental health disorders. One-on-one services offer personalized treatment to help you get on the right track.
• Treatment Centers. Like many addictions, there are treatment centers available to break your spending habits in a controlled environment. These centers treat behavioral addictions with inpatient rehab and outpatient counseling.

With several options of treatment available, picking the right one for you may depend on your resources and if you have health insurance.

Most insurance companies cover some counseling and therapy services. This is a great place to start your search for help. Call the number on your insurance card and ask for an in-network mental health professional. A therapist, psychologist or other recommended mental health professional can treat your addiction with in-person visits and recommend additional resources.

If you do not have insurance, there are still opportunities to get help. Debtors Anonymous is similar to AA and follows a 12-step program. It can help you find a local support group and will provide you with guidance and hope for recovery.

You can also reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). This government agency offers a helpline for information on local treatment and community-based organizations to help you overcome your shopping habit.

For compulsive buyers, the cycle of spending is hard to break. While most recognize they have a problem and try to resist spending, their compulsion wins. Because of the challenges of an addiction, it’s important to ask for help.

There are immediate steps you can take to improve your finances. Make a budget, and spend time learning and understanding your finances. Having a better understanding of money and budgets will help you begin to control your spending and pay off debts.

While so much of society runs on credit cards, many compulsive buyers need to limit their purchases to cash. This direct money transaction prevents spending more than you have.

When you control your spending, you can then begin the process of paying off your debts. As you work to pay off your debts, know your rights and responsibilities to help you navigate the process.

With treatment, you can recover from your shopping addiction and discover new emotional and financial stability.