Psychology of a shopaholic:
When it’s a real mental disorder
If you often joke about the wonders of “retail therapy”, you may want to think about it twice. Being a shopaholic might be manifestation of a mental disorder. (Shutterstock)
When people hear the term “shopaholic,” they often think of someone who buys needless items, usually when he or she already has an ample supply. Most of the time the term is used as a way to tease someone who enjoys shopping, but the truth of the matter is compulsive shopping in excess can be a symptom of a real psychological disorder, one professionally referred to as oniomania.
Not everyone who enjoys shopping is a shopaholic; people with oniomania have a compulsive disorder, one that can affect day-to-day activities and personal relationships. For some people, being a shopaholic has broken up families and ended careers.
“‘Shopaholic’ is not an actual medical term but rather a popular expression meant to describe people who compulsively shop, often to their financial and personal detriment,” Lloyd I. Sederer, MD, Medical Director at the NYS Office of Mental Health, tells Saludify. “Like many other compulsive behaviors, it is characterized by its persistence despite a person’s recognizing the problems it causes.”
The facts about being a shopaholic
Oniomania can often occur in conjunction with bipolar disorder and other depressive conditions, and Sederer explains compulsive behaviors in general, provide temporary relief from a variety of difficult feelings, including low mood, low self-regard, intense anxiety, and tensions in personal relationships.
But whatever relief it provides is very transient and typically followed by a resurgence of the feelings the behavior meant to overcome, with the added difficulties of any financial problems the excessive shopping may create.
A common scenario in which someone exhibits symptoms of or tendency to being a shopaholic is when a relationship ends; for example, the woman who goes out and buys an excessive amount of clothing after her boyfriend leaves her. Like Sederer indicates, the purchases are meant to temporarily relieve the pain of relationship loss.
For some experts, a person might become a shopaholic because they become the ‘center of attention’ in a store, where they are tended to continuously.
“Shopping addiction resembles drug, gambling or alcoholic addiction,” psychologist Nadezhda Yugrina told PRAVDA.Ru. “One should look for its reasons in the childhood of every particular individual. As a rule, such people suffered from the shortage of human care and tenderness when children. A person can grow in a normal family and receive good education, but experience a strong need in love. When such people grow up, they can find attention in various stores.”
People often show symptoms of being a shopaholic during stressful life events. (Shutterstock)
Not all compulsive shopping associated with a shopaholic is related to childhood issues or a need to alleviate negative feelings, however. WebMD indicates some individuals may be genetically predisposed to addictive behaviors, which create a “feel good” chemical response in the brain. These addictive behaviors can express in different ways — drugs and alcohol, sex, food and shopping.
“Individuals will get some kind of high from an addictive behavior like shopping,” said toWebMD, Ruth Engs, EdD, a professor of applied health science at Indiana University. “Meaning that endorphins and dopamine, naturally occurring opiate receptor sites in the brain, get switched on, and the person feels good, and if it feels good they are more likely to do it — it’s reinforced.”
Even still, there is another factor which may contribute to oniomania—the presence of another behavioral disorder.
Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for example, are more likely than others to become shopaholics because impulsivity is a part of living with ADHD. This characteristic makes it difficult for these individuals to think of the consequences of over-spending at the time of purchase.
Health Central explains individuals with ADHD can also suffer from anxiety and depression, which bring oniomania back to the category of other addictions and compulsions, which are performed to alleviate stress.
Unfortunately, shopaholics often experience guilt after they get home with their purchases. This can lead to more compulsive shopping, making the process cyclical.
“It is a vicious circle,” said Yugrina. “At first people go to a store and spend a lot of money there but then they suffer from the sense of guilt and go to a store to get rid of this feeling again. If a person wants to put an end to this permanent shopping, they are supposed to approach the issue as a problem and ask for psychological help.”
Treatment for a shopaholic
Being fond of “retail therapy” is not to be taken lightly. We have all experienced the joy of indulging once in a while in something we really need or want. However, if shopping is a constant method of coping, despite financial limitations or distraction from responsibilities, then it’s time to seek help.
Just like with other addictions and compulsions, treatment for a shopaholic often means an intervention followed by support group therapy and one-on-one psychological sessions. In addition to treating the psychological aspect of oniomania, individuals often need to seek financial assistance.
“There are no standard treatments for shopping addiction,” Donald Black, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, told WebMD.
“Medications have been used, generally antidepressants that treat, in some cases, the underlying issue of depression in someone with an addiction, but with mixed results. Therapists also focus on cognitive-behavioral treatment programs, and credit or debt counseling can be very helpful to some people, as well.”
Treatment for a shopaholic can be very costly, not only because of the professional help needed, but because a shopping compulsion does not go away overnight. Throughout the process, individuals with oniomania will likely continue to indulge, running up more debt.
For family and friends, it is important to understand this is an addiction like any other and for the person it might be very difficult to stop at will or from one day to another.
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ResponderEliminarHi Miriam!
ResponderEliminarI’ve seen that you’ve published two articles in the blog. I decided to read this because the title sounds more interesting! ;) and while I was reading I though that it really was! It’s very enjoyable!
I think there are some of preconceptions about this disorder like: it isn’t very serious, the patient can control if he or she wants or maybe that this persons are just very wilful. But the reality is they are suffering as much as other abuse disorders because they recognize their problem. In fact, the article says that sometimes the shopaholic disorder is associated with drugs, alcohol or sex addiction and also with psychiatric disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or bipolar disorder.
The article refers that the treatment could be pharmacological and based in cognitive-behavioural treatment programs. Also it explains the importance to inference the family and friends. I think that the last part of the treatment very influential for the patients because they feel supported, but in my opinion it could be the most difficult to due the preconceptions about this illness.
Hi girls!
ResponderEliminarWhat’s interesting article! Congratulations, Miriam! I believe that this disorder as other addiction, are frowned upon in society and for population is difficult to understand that these are a real medical problem. Thus, society can reduce (erroneously) the importance of these disorders. Because of that, I like this article, it try to change the conception of most people about "sopapholic" and it expose the real problem, it’s a psychological disorder!
In my opinion, it's a huge problem because it affects both the patient and family who pass it really bad, and treatment is very complicated. This article also discusses the causes that can lead a person to have this kind of behavior, such as a form of therapy when a relationship ends or to compensate for lack of affection during childhood. But it talks about how some individuals may be genetically predisposed to addictions too, an important fact to consider.
Finally, in relation to treatment I agree that it’s very difficult to do, because it’s very costly to the patient and family and very long, and it needs patience. In psychiatry we have seen as the best treatment for these disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy, although some pills can help the patient, eg anxiety pills. For me it would be quite interesting to know what these patients think about their problem and their families too. What do you think about it?
How are you?
ResponderEliminar“Shopaolic” behaviour can be given as a result of different pathologic characteristics. Those mental disorders which contain manic symptoms are likely to develop this kind of conducts. Commonly, “shopaolics” are judged by a lot of people who argue that “they are absolutely irresponsible”. Nevertheless, normally the cause is ignored by most people. I heard one time that a women who had a several ill husband at home, dedicated her to go shopping during the man was alone at home. It´s incredible, isn’t it? To judge seems easy: What a selfish women! But the reality of the case was different; the woman was suffering as much as her husband was. Go shopping was a mechanism of defence that she developed. Unbelievable! What do you think?
Hello girls! What an interesting and unknown topic?!
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion this psychiatric illness is more common than we think but most of people aren’t aware that this disorder exists.
First, because in our society going shopping is very popular and people use to do it as a normal thing, there are people who call it a hobby or they use to escape from the routine. For example, I’m sure that every one of us have gone shopping after finishing exams period, in this case, we use it to change our routine. Obviously, that’s not a mental disorder.
However, this statement change when a person needs that shopping in order to be fine, I mean, when a person buy things which aren’t unnecessary for him, and sometimes, after buying it he leaves it in the closet with the tag hanging. Moreover this custom can bring seriously problems with the bank and even though with his love partner. In this moment, this people must receive medical and psychological treatment.
Finally I would like to reflect on this issue, because sometimes we called posh a person who is always shopping clothes for example and we don’t take into account that this person can be ill.
Thank you for the article Miriam, it has been really interesting.
Hi everyone!
ResponderEliminarCongratulations Miriam. Liked it! It is a quite novel and interesting topic, so I congratulate you for finding it!
The dictionary defines compulsion as disability to avoid addictive or obsessive behavior for an apparently healthy subject. This is the case of the oniomania (also called shopping addiction or "shopaholic"), is the inability to resist buying something that is not useful.
In my opinion, we are continually bombarded with consumerism: on TV, on radio, on billboards, and posters ... This has made the society creates the false idea that the more things you have or more expensive, you are better. So, no wonder they have created new mental illness (such as oniomania) due to the pressure of consumerist society. However, these people are sick people, and certainly, if they had not developed the shopping addiction, would have suffered another manifestation, because do not forget that this is a disease. They seek to calm their anxiety, in this case, buying useless things.
In conclusion, I think you need to raise awareness that these people are not normal behavior, and they need professional help.
Good article, Miriam!
First of all thank you for your opinions,Actually I agree with all of you.Some persons say that theses girls,because the most of them are women, are capricious and they want all basics items for each campaign.This is not true they need psychologic help because they have a disorder, a type of disorder, that affects themselves and their families too.
ResponderEliminarSometime our society drive us to do theses things and staying all week with perfect outfits,but only some of them can do it because they don´t have nothing to do or it´s their work for example; mode bloggers.They are revolutionizating all magazines and photographers and they assit to amazing events,but we can´t forget that it´s a job.
Good night and good luck for the exam.
Take care girls XOXO