My Everyday Psychology

Some Symptoms and Causes of Shopping Addiction

Not long ago I picked up a paperback called Shopping Addiction by Caesar Lincoln. The author makes a few observations that stuck with me. If you suspect you have a problem with spending, or you're watching somebody close to you struggle with it, some of what follows might ring true.

At the center of it is a loss of control over money. The reasons differ from person to person. For some, the spending itself delivers a rush, and that rush gets tangled up with wanting an audience: look how much I can afford to drop on this thing. Other times the compulsive shopper grabs a random item off a shelf purely for the small jolt of buying it. Put that person in a position where money can be spent and restraint tends to evaporate. The budget rarely enters into it. Most compulsive shoppers, in fact, either keep no budget at all or hand control of one to someone else.