While some of us may purchase to invest, such as bitcoin and other ventures, there are others who suffer from an addiction to shopping and expenditure.
But what is it? And is there a way to get help? Read on to learn more about this.
So what is it?
This is more than just buying a thing or two to treat yourself. This is oftentimes called compulsive shopping, or oniomania, which is the need to always buy things. This is one of the most accepted addictions, because usually, people just think you like to buy stuff. And with the world of advertising being right in your face, it’s no wonder that people are usually plagued by this addiction and what it does.
Why do You Do it?
This is because you’re allured to buy things. With the impact of consumerism, and the intention of creating social wealth, it oftentimes is looked at as a good thing.
And plus, it can help with avoiding feelings of depression and anxiety, and it can take over your thoughts and cause problems later on in life.
Everyone does shop of course, but not everyone has an addiction to it.
This also can co-occur with other disorders, such as substance abuse, anxiety, eating disorders, and even personality disorders, and some use it as a means to boost their self-esteem, although it’s not effective for this.
Symptoms?
The biggest symptom is buying things you don’t need, and feeling like you HAVE to have this. That means buying extra stuff you don’t necessarily need.
Usually, this also involves extensive use of credit cards, or buying things that you believe are important for down the line.
You typically end up spending a bunch of money on useless stuff, and you oftentimes end up struggling with paying bills, asking for help with money and other means.
If you find yourself thinking about buying things or having to buy things, there might be some signs that you’ve got shopping addiction, and may want to get some help for this.
Any way to help?
Some of the best ways to live and overcome it include different lifestyle changes to help you. For starters, try to find alternatives to your normal leisure activities to help you figure out ways to better your own self, and to break that addictive cycle.
You can have someone take care of the essentials, and delegate your financial changes while you seek out help for this issue. Having someone handle your budget may be good until you get a hold on this.
You should also get rid of credit cards, only keeping some emergency cash on you, so you’re not always shopping and needing to impulse purchase this.
Finally, shop with someone who doesn’t compulsively spend, as they can help you keep you in check so you can keep your finances better under control as well.
The Next Step
Your next step is therapy. Therapy, especially from BetterHelp, is a great way to begin. They have counselors that handle different kinds of addictions, so if you need some help, you’ve got it.
You can of course get CBT, some financial counseling, and you can also work on goal setting and other treatments too in order to help you get the most that you can out of this.
A counselor is really good if you can’t handle the addiction yourself, and if you feel like you don’t have total control over your own financial choices.
Shopping addiction is rough, and in this day and age, it can certainly be a struggle for you. But, if you want to, therapy and help can benefit you, and you can get a better hold on this too!
