How to Know if You Have a Shopping Addiction

Do you love to shop? Many people do, and for most, it is simply an enjoyable hobby. However, for some the enjoyment goes beyond fun and into the realm of obsession. This is when you know you have a shopping addiction, although the signs can be hard to spot at first. This article will let you know exactly what to look for, not only in yourself, but also in others.

A shopping addict is also called a shopaholic, a play on words with alcoholic, which tends to make this sound like a frivolous thing. After all, how bad can it be to buy stuff? However, this is actually a very serious problem for thousands of people worldwide, but especially in consumer-driven countries. For these shopaholics, their problem is no small matter and it can affect every aspect of their lives if allowed to continue.

The early signs of a shopping addiction are pretty subtle and there is a fine line between a person who likes to shop for say something they collect such as the cartoon “peanuts” figurines, so they go online and order
peanuts checks and a person who shops obsessively. The majority of shopaholics are women, although a few men are also afflicted with this problem.

A shopping addiction begins with compulsive buying of things that aren’t necessary to the buyer, such as buying 8 boxes of the peanuts checks at one time. The shopaholic is able to justify these purchases fairly easily (“I love “Peanuts”, I will use them up eventually”) and doesn’t really bother to hide them in the early stages. Although spending more money than needed, the shopper feels in control still.

As the shopping problem expands, the buyer begins to feel guilty for spending the money and will start to hide things that they buy. For example, a woman might buy a scarf at a very expensive boutique and hide it in her closet, never wearing it since it reminds her of how much money she threw away on it. This is usually where the major problems start with shopping.

The causes of shopaholism is not evident, but some women shop when they feel depressed or stressed out. As time goes on, the addiction itself causes stress as credit card bills are run up and bank accounts empty. If there is a partner in a relationship, things can get ugly as they fight about the money. It is a real vicious cycle, with money causing stress so the shopaholic buys more, thus causing more money problems!

Eventually, a shopping problem can lead to more severe problems, including extreme debt or bankruptcy, shoplifting and stealing money from friends and family, and even credit card fraud when all of the regular cards have been rejected. At this point, the shopping problem has taken over the life of the addict and it is very difficult to stop or think of anything except buying.

Shopping can become a serious problem if allowed. Although not the ideal method of coping with stress, it rapidly becomes the comfort action of an addicted person. Once it has passed a certain point, intervention will be necessary.

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