Many people love to shop but during the holidays is when people especially go overboard with it. There is no shame in wanting to spend money for yourself or your loved ones because it is usually done in moderation. However, the question is, can shopping become addictive?
A shopping addiction, otherwise known as a “compulsive buying disorder” is categorized as “someone who shops compulsively and who may feel like they have no control over their behavior” according to PsychGuides. People with this disorder tend to feel a rush or a high, when shopping, similar to the way using drugs feels to drug addicts. The urge to compulsively shop usually happens at a low point in the individual’s life. According to the article “Compulsive Buying Disorder: When Shopping Addiction Becomes A Problem” by Blackbear Rehab, compulsive shopping usually has a distinct cycle. First, there is the anticipation for shopping, second is preparing for the trip (can include making lists or just roaming around the store/website), next would be shopping and going to the store/website to buy, finally spending and making the purchases. After making the purchases, they begin to feel ashamed and embarrassed, hiding the purchases from their loved ones. Shopping addictions aren’t as well known or isn’t taken as seriously, but it is important to recognize the symptoms.
During holidays like Christmas, it is important to remember that you should not overdo it. According to the UKRehab’s “The Difference Between Christmas Shopping and Shopping Addiction”, during December more people start to get excited and feel pressured to buy gifts for others. Some may even use the holiday season as an excuse to continue excessively shopping. The sales available during the holidays may heighten the urge because they feel that they are getting a “steal.” Therefore, the closer it gets to Christmas, the more people tend to make rash decisions since many stores are being sold out and they want to find more presents for their friends and family.
There are some strategies to avoid this habit from becoming a full-on addiction. Using the HappierHuman’s, “ 8 Strategies to Stop a Shopping Addiction,” one way is creating a budget for yourself before you start shopping, that way when you are looking for gifts you don’t go over the limit that you set for yourself, and that way you don’t go broke in the process. Another method people can use is to create a list of everything they will need to buy and stick to that list, NO MATTER WHAT. The moment you start to buy things that aren't on your list, the urge to shop will return, then you will buy stuff that you might not need.
To gain better insight on shopping habits we asked two people about their thoughts on their shopping. First we asked a student who commented that they do like shopping because it distracts them from what is going on around them. They believe that they do have a shopping addiction because they lack self control since they cannot put the item back, they may need it for something. After making the purchase they feel happy but at the same time feel irresponsible because they wasted their money on something that isn’t exactly important. While on the holidays their shopping increases as they “spend money like there is no tomorrow.” On the other hand, Mr. Wang has a different view about his own shopping habits. Mr. Wang revealed that he would frequently shop more often in previous years, such as buying shoes, but he made changes to dial down his shopping. He believes it is tedious and he doesn’t know what to buy or he doesn’t want to spend money. When making purchases, he feels happy and excited, but also has a slight curiosity on what the item he bought could be used for. While he doesn’t have an intense need to shop normally, he does increase his shopping during the holidays because he would like to make a list of who to buy gifts for and what to buy for them.
In conclusion, shopping can become addictive especially with the holidays coming up. Therefore, it's important to stay wary of how much we are spending and not overshop. With some of these strategies in mind, you’ll be able to stay clear of any shopping addictions. Thus, you will be able to buy everything you need for the holidays while also making sure that you don’t end up broke by the end of the year.