It's seen as normal for people, especially women, to be "shopaholics" - however do you think it's possible to be addicted to shopping? I think it's possible to be addicted to anything, and I think a shopping addiction could be a problem - especially if it comes to the point you're spending non-disposable income on frivolous things like shoes.
It is very possible to be addicted to shopping. Some people get a high when they buy something new and it is a good and exciting feeling. The feeling wears off quickly once you have had the item for a little while and some people feel compelled to go out and shop to get that high back.
An addiction to shopping is a actually a lack of self-control and poor financial management. However, it can completely be an addiction because some people simply cannot control their spending no matter how hard they try. Financial instability can cause similar problems as drug abuse because it can turn a person's life upside down. Either way, you can indeed feel a high from shopping, and then that addiction can wreak havoc on your personal life if left uncontrolled.
All most all addictions are born out of weak mind. A mind which can be easily excited, pleasure-loving and evading responsibility. There are many techniques, which we are discussing here for normalizing drug addicts. However, it would be great if an addiction is stopped in its tracks. The best thing for it happen is to practice control over the mind. After all, prevention is better than cure. Compulsive shopping is one such thing, which you can stop by controlling your mind.
I think any form of addiction is essentially the same at the core which is that you are using an obsessing to distract yourself or to fill a void which is why I consider it to be what's more important to observe and treat when looking at an addicted person instead of placing the blame automatically on whatever it is they chose to obsess over.
I have seen women do this when stressed or just do this and don't view it as a addiction as they maynot think anything wrong is happening in this addiction. Time and money is being used and a person may spend more on this than using the money and time for important things which can benefit them in life and the mind needs to be controlled as it can easily fall into this trap of do the shopping nothing wrong with it. The mind can be hard to control at times as it wants things now and not wait for hard work to occur or patience to happen.
The shopaholic is a term for those who are addicts on it already. So, there are really some people who were addicted to shopping. There should be a control when shopping and not just go shopping even not necessary or you cannot afford anymore.
Yes, there is an actual mental illness of compulsive shopping. If you find yourself broke and indepth, yet can't stop buyimg because you think you just need something or have to have it, then you have a problem. If the shopping is gettting in the way of your daily life and work, that is a problem. More than likely you have to work with a counselor to get past the issue and it can be hard to stop by yourself. You have substitutes shopping for some pain or to supress some deep seeded issue.
Shopping addiction can be compared as the same with substance addiction in some ways. They both give a certain feeling of being elated temporarily which eventually fades easily. There's also the fact that they both make people broke as time goes by. Shopping is a good way to relax and take time off from the stress of daily life. It can also be considered as a reward to oneself for a job well done. The important thing is to know your limits when it comes to shopping. We all have the vulnerability of overspending and compulsive buying. It just takes a lot if self-control and discipline to avoid becoming a shopaholic.
Almost anything can be addictive. It largely depends on how much an individual is rewarded by the given activity. By rewarded I mean the dopamine that is pumped into the brain making us feel pleasure.
Absolutely it can become an addiction. My ex's mother had a shopping addiction to the point where she racked up every single credit card and cleaned out their bank account. They were left completely broke and it was very hard to watch them try to recover from it. Its a serious addiction like any other and I'm not to sure if there's enough support out there for those with this addiction who need help.
Shopping addictions will not harm you physically in most cases, but they sure will harm you financially. They can be just as dangerous as a drug addiction if they are not treated with therapy. It is really a sad situation in which people have to rely on things in order to make them happy in life.
Have you seen the Black Friday mayhem on the news?? Physical harm can definitely happen! http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/26/us/california-pepper-spray-suspect/index.html I understand what you're saying, though. It doesn't cause physical symptoms like, for example, meth does with scabs from users picking their skin.
I had a teacher who was once addicted to online shopping. He is good now, but he said that he could not go a single day without ordering something from Amazon. That blows my mind, really. He must have been wasting so much money.
My sister is addicted to shopping, she has a lot debts everywhere. She changes her wardrobe every year, I know this for a fact. She wants to pretend she and her husband earn more than what they actually earn, so she ends up spending more than she should.
My mom used to be very addicted to shopping. At Walmart she would spend at least 100$ each trip just on clothes alone which added a lot of debt on her credit card, up to 1,000$! They had to shut her card down in order to stop the increasing debt. Watch what you buy is my tip!
For some people it is very hard for them to watch their spending because a lot of it is about instant gratification and making themselves feel good about the items they can get here and now. It is just a different kind of high for them.
Thankfully, that's something that I have never been addicted to. In fact, I have a total shopping aversion. I can't stand shopping centers with their horrible neon-lighting, all the chemical odors, the loud music, the crowds, and basically everything around it. Also, I am not exactly keen on visiting any independent shops. I get stressed just thinking about it. To be honest, I can't really understand people who feel a compulsive need to spend money on, often useless, things.
When it comes to shopping addiction not only women but there are men who are doing this thing. If you are a person who likes to be in fashion all the time and who are very materialistic when it comes to clothes, shoes, cosmetics, perfumes, jewelries and other things then the tendency is you will end up you always like going to shopping. And I am happy to say that I am the kind of person who only buy things that are our necessities and important things only. And it is seldom only. Of course you must take into consideration first if you have the budget and extra money for this kind of expenses.