Compulsive Shopping

It is difficult to imagine that shopping can also be the cause of psychological obstruction. But there are people who spend money due to a compulsive urge that they cannot control. Shopping by and large is a harmless way to enjoy time. However, shopping without purpose episodes should be controlled and most people have the discipline to do so too. Other than a few occurrences in a year, they do not shop compulsively. There are however many others who find it difficult to control such urges and end up facing unwanted financial problems due to excessive spending. They buy and accumulate things that they hardly require. This compulsive shopping is called oniomania.

Cause of Oniomania

Our society largely deals with materialistic things and attaches a lot of sentiment to it. Hence shopping for gifts for friends, family, children, etc is done with a lot of care and thought. Buying things for the house is an experience as rich and rewarding as the item itself. Thus shopping is an emotional task and one cannot have enough of it. This is the main reason that compulsive shopping is not taken as a serious disorder. But the truth is that people who suffer from oniomania face financial, emotional and mental devastation.

It is observed that people who succumb to compulsive shopping are addicts or ex addicts of drugs or alcohol. More than ten per cent of the population suffers from it and females are more prone to it than males. There has not been much research done on the subject but condition is widespread in the society. Since there is no physical dependency on anything, compulsive shopping is not considered to be an addiction even though their behavior follows a cyclic pattern.

Cyclic Pattern of Oniomania

A typical episode follows boredom, depression or emotional stress. The impulse to shop sets in and shopping gives these people a. They go on and buy things which give them a sense of security, make them feel more attractive or powerful. When they realize their folly, they are laden with guilt and fear of debt. This in turn leads to depression and the next cycle is triggered.

There are certain telltale signs which can be recognized at a very early stage. These include a tendency to shop for things which are not required at all. Excess things means many has to be discarded without even being used. Sometimes things get thrown with their tags and packing intact. In extreme cases, shoppers even steal money to satisfy their shopping urges. Because of this, shopping and the money used for it start to interfere with the shopper’s relationships and work. If early signs are detected, appropriate treatment can be taken up.

Treatment of Compulsive Shopping

Treatment for this disorder involves fighting temptation, counseling for depression, make money unavailable or difficult to access etc. Many shoppers are asked to take up a hobby or activity in order to distract them when the impulse to shop hits them. A counselor or health professional can help people who have been bitten by the compulsive shopping bug. 

Shopping can be fun but for some it can bring tears too. Compulsive shopping is a condition fast catching up in this materialistic world and most of the time goes unnoticed.