Shopping addiction includes mental health disorders that can cause dangerous consequences, not only financially, but also personally and in contact with family.
Some people hold the shop principle till you drop or shop until your money runs out especially at certain times, such as before the feast or the end of the year. But others continue to shop all the time, even after they no longer have cash.
Shopping as a Form of Addiction
Medical researchers believe that the human brain associates shopping with a feeling like floating, similar to that felt by those who consume drugs. That's why they feel the urge to shop again and again. This feeling of joy when shopping arises because of the triggering of the hormone endorphin and dopamine which can make someone feel happy.
Shopping addiction can also be called a compulsive buying disorder (CBD), also called shopoholism. CBD itself is defined as an irresistible desire to buy goods excessively with large amounts of time-consuming expenditures which ultimately only bring negative influence in terms of finance and family. Based on the symptoms, this disorder might even be categorized as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, clinical addiction, or control disorder with encouragement.
Just like addicts in other fields, shopping addicts can try to hide their problems. Some shopping enthusiasts try to give the impression that they have unlimited and rich money, when in fact, their debts accumulate. People who experience this disorder are generally less able to understand their own feelings and are less able to manage bad feelings.
In some cases, the trigger for shopping addiction comes from depression, mental health problems, or emotional problems. This shopping addiction can also be rooted in experience in childhood. For example, children who do not get enough attention from their parents may feel insecure because they feel that they are not important. As a result, they will grow up by buying things that are expected to make them no longer feel alone.
The existence of many shopping centers, the convenience of shopping via online / online, and the ease of using credit cards in the future as if increasingly facilitating crazy shopping trends. From the perspective of social psychology, people who do not have strong identities tend to seek identity and recognition through the habit of excessive shopping.
Do You Include Shopping Addicts?
Shopping in large quantities at certain times should not be a problem, but shopping addicts feel that they need to shop all the time. Shopping is categorized as a compulsive impulse when the culprit cannot control his own actions by buying items that are not needed or cannot be bought.
Furthermore, how do you distinguish between people who just like shopping and those who are addicted to shopping? The following are some of the symptoms.
Shopping to relieve stress. Also, like shopping when feeling lonely, angry, or anxious.
Looks obsessed with buying items every week or even every day.
Don't hesitate to lie for shopping. Because he didn't want to be criticized, he often hid his purchases. He also lied about how much he had spent. maybe even have a secret credit card that they hide or even take funds that are not theirs.
Feel very happy after buying something.
Spending funds beyond the credit card nominal limit.
Continue to buy items that are ultimately not used.
Continue shopping even though you can't pay the bills.
Continue shopping even though you feel guilty after buying a lot of things.
Unaware of his own financial capabilities and continued to buy goods even though he exceeded the price he could afford.
Continue to buy more items. For example, initially said he wanted to buy one shirt, but it turned out out of the store carrying five clothes.
This unhealthy shopping habit lasts for months.
Feeling confused without a credit card.
More often buy goods on credit than cash.
Then How to Overcome It?
Handling shopping addiction can be done according to the severity and source of the problem. Here are some steps you can take to relieve addiction:
Accept the fact that you are having a problem with the desire to shop.
Annihilate all credit cards used for shopping.
Avoid shopping alone. Ask reliable people to remind you if you start shopping more than you need.
Consult a psychologist to detect what are the problems behind your shopping crazy behavior.
Relatives, partners, or close friends need to help take control of the addicts' expenditure.
Live counseling and therapy so that addicts can learn to control impulses and recognize the triggers of shopping addiction.
Addicts can learn about financial management and learn to adopt a healthy shopping style.
Drugs, such as antidepressant drugs, can be used if the source of the crazy shopping problem turns out to be depression.
Therapists can help deal with addicts with cognitive-behavioral therapy.
If you don't get immediate help, shopping addicts can lose their homes due to paying debts, losing their jobs, friends or family due to debt or losing trust in money management. Addicts can also lose the trust of their spouse or family because they constantly lie. Emotionally, addicts also close themselves from others because they do not want to be criticized.
If the addict has reached the stage of stealing or unable to return the debt, then shopping addiction can also have legal consequences. Like other forms of addiction, after recovering, crazy shopping can also recur. Assistance and assistance from the closest people is needed to help these addicts.
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