Symptoms of being a shopaholic

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Smart appearance is a desire of many people, who are delicate with their fashion style and look. 

For instance, fashion in the Middle Ages was determined by the social class people were belonging to.

The people wore clothes that were influenced by the styles of clothing that were worn by the kings and queens of the kingdom and fully reflected the social stance in the kingdom.

Nowadays, the fashion market is filled with fabulous modern trends, stunning jewels, amazing shoes and colorful bags. Graphic eye liner, unique nail art and the majority of beauty trends make your head spin.

Everyone knows, of course, that women love to shop. Most men, it seems, shop only reluctantly and at the last minute. What about women, they shop regardless of the season or the state of the economy.

However, the pursuit of new trends may turn into a tragedy.

Do you know someone who shops too much? Maybe it's you or one of your friends? Someone whose closet is full of endless stuff, clothes and accessories and may be psychological problem.

The irresistible desire to shop is known as compulsive buying disorder or oniomania.  It has been linked to other impulse disorders like gambling, alcoholism and binge eating.

What differentiates shopaholism from healthy shopping? Where shopping can be a positive root to self-expression and represents a dangerous threat.

The mental disorder is often referred to as compulsive shopping, shopping addiction, shopaholism.

The addiction destroyed the lives of millions of people, sucked up billions of pounds and ruined thousands of lives.

Numerous TV shows, movies  have made the whole issue of compulsive buying better understood. 

Remember the main character of the American comedy film "Confessions of a Shopaholic".

The movie tells about the struggle of a woman who suffers from shopping addiction.

She can’t stop spending and owes almost $20,000 on her credit cards.

But when her debt issues threaten to destroy her love life and derail her career, she of her love of shopping. 

Why do shopaholics overspend?

Often lonely and isolated individuals go shopping as a kind of retail therapy.

Shopaholics tend to understand their feelings poorly and have low tolerance for unpleasant psychological states such as bad moods.

Perfectionism, general impulsiveness and compulsiveness, and the need to gain control have also been linked to this mental disorder. 

Compulsive buying is not limited to people who spend beyond their means. Shopaholism also  includes people who spend an inordinate amount of time shopping or who chronically think about buying things but never purchase them.

How to help a shopaholic with their shopping addiction?

According to recoveringshopaholic.com, you should analyze your purchases. Ask yourself: Which items have become wardrobe workhorses? Which pieces are in the “wardrobe benchwarmer” category? And which ones are in the in-between territory?

Create shopping lists for yourself. So the next time you shop you will buy only what you need. List the items by priority:  must have, need but not urgent, and nice to have.

Also, set an item limit on your shopping. This can either be a monthly limit or a limit for the entire year.

Don’t talk too much with the sales associate.  If you get too “chatty with the person who’s helping you, you might feel more pressured to buy.

Besides, look at your wardrobe and ask yourself "how many of my clothes do I truly love?" This simple question will help you to cope with shopaholism.

In some cases, antidepressants may be prescribed by doctors to shopping addicts who have also been diagnosed with underlying depression. The support groups and credit counseling are also used in dealing with shopaholism.

Enjoy shopping but don't make it the meaning of your life. As the saying goes, the best things in life are free.