Shopping Addiction

Shopping addiction is an increasingly common form of behavioural addiction. This is when you become dependent on a behaviour (in this case, shopping) rather than drugs or alcohol.

Shopping addiction is also called compulsive buying disorder or “oniomania”, and it makes you feel like you have to shop, even when you don’t need anything or can’t really afford it. People with this addiction often feel a rush of excitement when they buy something, but this is usually followed by feelings of guilt, regret or stress about the money they spend.

As the initial “high” of shopping fades to these negative feelings, people with shopping addiction try to chase that high again by buying more things. This creates a vicious cycle where they keep spending money to feel good, end up feeling worse shortly after and then shop again to try and feel again.

As with drug and alcohol detox, attempting to give up shopping when addicted can actually create withdrawal symptoms. These are your brain’s reaction to being deprived of something that it has become dependent on. Shopping addiction symptoms of withdrawal can make it hard to give up or cut down your shopping and often include:

• Anxiety or restlessness when you haven’t been shopping recently
• Irritability or mood swings for no reason
• Trouble focusing or concentrating with all your focus on when you can shop next
• Feeling depressed or down when you can’t shop or shortly after you have been shopping

The above symptoms are a good indicator that you have become addicted to shopping. However, there are other warning signs of a shopping addiction that are less subtle and can help you identify addiction:

• They often shop when they are feeling upset or stressed
• They buy things they don’t need or can’t afford
• They know that they are hiding their purchases or lying about how much they’ve spent
• They feel guilty or regretful after shopping
• Their shopping habits are causing problems in their life, like debt or relationship issues
• They keep shopping even though they are aware it is harming them

If you spot these shopping addiction symptoms in a loved one, it may be time for them to seek professional help.

There are many reasons why someone might develop a shopping addiction. Here are some of the main ones:

Low self-esteem

People who don’t feel good about themselves might shop to try to feel better. They may buy things they think will make them look more attractive or become more popular at school or work. However, their purchases are likely to just cover over the cracks for a short while as the underlying issues remain.

A lot of stress

Shopping can be a fun and often effective way to relieve everyday stress (hence the joking expression “retail therapy”). However, if you have a lot of stress in your life and you come to rely on shopping to cope with it genuinely, shopping addiction can quickly follow.

Social pressure

If friends and family shop a lot, it can make someone feel like they need to shop, too, to fit in or keep up. Our society also has a wider belief that having money and possessions equals success and status, which can drive compulsive buying habits.

Persuasive marketing and advertising

Companies are really good at convincing people to buy things through smart ads and marketing. The fact is that we are now inundated with adverts and marketing messages all the time and these can be very hard to resist, particularly if you have some of the other issues explained in this section.

Genetics

Some people are just genetically more likely to develop addictions, including shopping addiction. This is why you often see the children of people with addictions become addicted themselves.

Underlying mental health disorders

Shopping addiction can be related to mental health issues like depression, bipolar disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. People might shop to escape from the feelings caused by these conditions, but it only helps temporarily and doesn’t solve the real problems.

Shopping addiction can have a big impact on different parts of your life and can even affect your health. Here are some of the biggest dangers:

Financial problems

Financial issues are the most obvious dangers of shopping addiction. You can end up maxing out your credit cards, borrowing money that you can’t pay back and ending up in debt, bankrupt or even homeless due to compulsive buying.

Relationship issues

Constant shopping and financial problems can lead to tension and fallouts with all the people closest to you. They may not understand that you have a genuine addiction and could get angry at you for putting the family under financial strain. Money problems are one of the major causes of divorce and family breakup, so that these issues can have dire consequences for your relationships.

Health problems

You may not think of shopping addiction being a danger to health but this isn’t true. The stress and anxiety caused by financial and relationship problems can lead to physical health issues like headaches, stomach problems and high blood pressure. The emotional rollercoaster of shopping addiction can also worsen or cause mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and severe stress.

Issues at work or school

Spending too much time shopping or worrying about money can have a knock-on effect at work, school and other important aspects of your life. Shopping addiction often leads to missed deadlines, poor attendance and serious performance issues. These can add even more stress to your financial and personal well-being.

Stopping shopping addiction takes a full treatment plan to deal with all its causes. There are two main stages, rehab treatment and aftercare, which are intended to help you break your compulsive buying habits and prevent you from relapsing later.

Shopping addiction rehab treatment

Rehab helps you understand what triggers your shopping addiction and teaches you healthy ways to deal with it. It’s best to do this in an inpatient rehab centre like Oasis Bradford because it takes you out of your usual environment, allowing you to focus completely on getting better with constant support. Our programme involves various therapies, such as group counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and holistic treatments like art therapy to give you well-rounded treatment.

Aftercare at Oasis Bradford

After finishing rehab, it’s important to have an aftercare plan to keep you on the right track. At Oasis Bradford, we offer free weekly group therapy sessions for a year. These sessions provide ongoing support, guidance and accountability to help you stay focused on your recovery and handle tough times.

If you are ready to break free from your shopping addiction and move forward with your life, Oasis Bradford can help. With our expert team and comprehensive treatment programmes, you will have the tools and knowledge you need to recover fully. Contact Oasis Bradford today to begin the road to a brighter future.