Shopping Addiction
Shopping addiction, also called compulsive buying disorder, can turn lives upside and send families into debt. Although most people imagine addiction involving a substance of some kind, behavioral addictions can be just as devastating.
A trip to the mall or an online shopping session to reward a bad day may be innocent enough. However, for some people, it could evolve into addictive behavior and a serious mental health disorder. Identifying shopping addiction in yourself or a loved one can be difficult, but avoiding financial problems is possible when catching the problem early.
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What Is Shopping Addiction?
Shopping addiction, also called compulsive buying disorder, is a behavioral addiction where a person feels compelled to shop or spend money despite negative consequences. While many people enjoy shopping, those with this addiction experience a loss of control over their spending. The behavior often provides temporary emotional relief, followed by guilt, shame, or financial stress.
People with a shopping addiction might spend beyond their means, hide purchases, or prioritize shopping over responsibilities. It’s not just about the love of things—it’s about using shopping as a way to cope.
Although shopping addiction is not yet officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), research continues to support its classification as a behavioral addiction with very real symptoms and impacts.
How Shopping Addiction Works
Like other behavioral addictions, shopping addiction affects the brain’s reward system. Activities like making a purchase or browsing a sale can trigger the release of dopamine, a chemical linked to pleasure and motivation.
Over time, the brain can begin to associate spending with emotional relief or excitement. This reinforces the habit and can turn a once-innocent behavior into a compulsive coping mechanism. Even when someone wants to cut back, they may feel intense urges to shop—especially during times of stress, boredom, or emotional discomfort.
This cycle is what makes shopping addiction similar to substance use disorders: the behavior becomes a way to escape or self-soothe, even when it leads to financial, emotional, or relational harm.
Warning Signs of Shopping Addiction
Recognizing the signs of a shopping addiction can be difficult, especially when spending is often encouraged or glamorized in everyday life. However, when shopping becomes compulsive or emotionally charged, it may signal a deeper problem.
Common red flags include:
- Shopping or spending money to cope with negative emotions like anger, sadness, or boredom
- Obsessive thinking about shopping, money, or specific items
- Buying things to boost self-esteem or fill an emotional void
- Feeling a “high” or rush during shopping or spending
- Making purchases with credit or money you don’t have
- Feeling guilt, shame, or regret after buying something
- Hiding shopping habits or lying about what was spent
- Constantly juggling bills or finances to accommodate spending
- Arguing with loved ones about shopping or financial problems
Types of Shopping Addictions
Not all shopping addictions form for the same reasons or manifest in the same ways. Many people may have a picture in their mind of what a shopping addict looks like, but often individuals will find themselves struggling with different types of shopping addiction.
The following list is not exhaustive or universally agreed upon but can offer insights into the types of shopping addicts and their motivations.
Compulsive Shopping
Addicts of this type of shopping often use it to escape negative feelings. A compulsive shopper may go on a planned shopping spree after a bad day or to combat feelings of anxiety or depression.
While they may plan their trip to the mall or online shopping session, very little of the experience is actually within their control. For instance, an addict may feel upset after a difficult day and resort to excessive shopping to forget those negative emotions.
Impulse Buying
Impulsive buying typically occurs as a spur-of-the-moment reaction to seeing something you want in a shop. These instances usually aren’t planned, and the desire to buy the item can come on suddenly.
The fear of missing out or never seeing the item again can often be the driving force behind buying it. Price means nothing to impulsive shoppers; the decision to buy happens instantly, regardless of the financial consequences.
Bulimic Shopping
“Shopping bulimia” has recently begun making the rounds to describe this type of shopping. Bulimic shopping occurs when someone becomes overwhelmed by the desire to buy something, but once the initial high wears off, they quickly return their purchases.
Sometimes people engaging in bulimic shopping will lie or intentionally damage products to get retailers to accept these returns. The constant binging and purging of buying and returning can create financial problems for businesses. It can also create issues for shopping addicts if a retailer refuses to accept the return.
Bargain-Hunting
Shopping addicts who are bargain hunters will frequently buy products they don’t need just because they’re on sale. Sometimes it’s less about the act of buying and more about the rush associated with finding the deal. This behavior can be hazardous, as it may seem the person is saving money, but they are ultimately wasting money by amassing items they’ll never use.
Collectors
When it comes to collecting compulsions, there can be a fair amount of overlap with other known issues like hoarding. However, collecting can bleed into a shopping addiction when the desire for every piece of a set or a rare item overrides financial concerns. Often collectors will want to purchase multiple versions of the same thing, whether it be every color, size, or style.
For example, a collector of limited edition dishware may spend excessive money and time buying every color and size to complete their set. This desire to complete a collection can be compelling and hard to resist.
Online Shopping Addiction
With so many online stores, shopping addicts can be tempted to overspend from the privacy of their homes. Between the convenience of just clicking or tapping “Complete Purchase” and the saturation of ad-targeting across social media platforms, online shopping addiction can be challenging to treat.
Ever notice that, after visiting a website, you begin seeing ads while scrolling on Facebook or checking the news? Websites track who visits, and if users fail to make a purchase, the business will target you with ads hoping to tempt you repeatedly. These remarketing techniques can turn an addict’s successful resistance to buying into failure when they’re followed around the internet by these targeted ads.
Shopping Addiction Causes and Risk Factors
Some people don’t think shopping addiction is a serious issue, especially comparing it to substance abuse that can pose a real danger to someone’s health (e.g., alcohol, opioids, etc.) But shopping addiction can easily ruin someone’s life, putting their finances and relationships in peril. Identifying the difference between a fun shopping trip and a real problem can be crucial.
Causes of Shopping Addiction
Several factors can affect the likelihood of someone developing a shopping addiction. These factors can include:
- Genetics
- Co-occurring illnesses
- Societal pressures
Research has shown that some people may be predisposed to addictive behaviors, so being aware of addiction within your family can be very helpful.
According to research from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, people with shopping addiction often meet the criteria for:
- Mood disorders (21%-100%)
- Anxiety disorders (41-80%)
- Substance use disorders (21-46%)
- Eating disorders (8-35%)
- Co-occurring disorders that feature issues with impulse control (e.g., Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) are also relatively common in these individuals (21-40%)
Often, these individuals suffer from low self-esteem or feel they don’t fit in. Buying the same expensive items owned by peers they admire may be another element in shopping behaviors that eventually turn addictive.
Is It a Shopping Addiction or Just Shopping?
Shopping is frequently considered a relaxing social outing or can cheer someone up. With common terms like “retail therapy” and “treat yourself,” it can be tough to know the difference between everyday shopping and shopping addiction.
People with shopping addiction often aren’t casual shoppers that wander the mall for fun. When behavior becomes addictive, individuals become preoccupied or even distressed with thoughts surrounding shopping and money. They may become emotional during the experience, causing many addicts to shop alone or in secret.
Consequences of Shopping Addiction
Like addiction to substances, shopping addiction can cause a ripple effect on many parts of the addict’s life, from their bank accounts to personal relationships. The short-term effects may feel primarily positive, but long-term effects can become devastating.
Consequences of a shopping addiction may include:
- Spending over budget: By spending more than the allotted amount for shopping, you could endanger funds for bills and food.
- Drowning in debt: Racking up credit card debt can put you so far in financial debt that paying it off or qualifying for loans in the future becomes almost impossible.
- Struggling to break the cycle: It’s common for compulsive buyers to overshop, feel immense guilt afterward, and use more shopping to bury those guilty feelings.
- Destroying relationships: When finances are shared with a partner or if the addict constantly borrows money, it can cause a severe strain on a marriage or friendship.
- Opening the door for other issues: Continuous and unchecked compulsive buying can lead to other mental health issues like hoarding, anxiety, and depression.
Shopping Addiction Treatment Options
Unlike addiction to substances, inpatient or outpatient treatment centers typically aren’t applicable or equipped to handle cases of shopping addiction. However, there are still many options if you or a family member is struggling with compulsive buying.
Therapy
Psychotherapy or “talk therapy” is frequently the first-line treatment for behavioral addictions like shopping addiction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most common therapy used for addiction because it helps patients identify unhealthy thought patterns and develop strategies to avoid addictive behavior in the future.
Family therapy can be another great option, especially if the shopping addiction has hurt the whole family. This therapy allows the addict and their family to heal and create systems to ensure destructive behavior no longer happens. Family support and open communication can provide a life free of shopping addiction or compulsive buying.
Treatment of Comorbidities
Some addicts may shop to cope with symptoms of co-occurring mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, or mood disorders. During the treatment process, your doctor may diagnose you or a loved one with a mental illness. Sometimes the treatment of the comorbid condition can lessen or help with the negative feelings that worsen shopping addiction.
Financial Counseling
As shopping addiction is often closely tied to financial problems, seeking a financial counselor can significantly help treat shopping addiction. While shopping addiction is usually not under the control of the addict, a financial advisor can help you create systems of managing your money and even create roadblocks to make it harder for you to spend money.
Support Groups
Support groups are a fantastic option for long-term support and empathy. Organizations can provide a communal support system for people going through similar situations.
Common support groups include:
You can also ask your doctor about local resources for in-person support groups.
Get Help for Shopping Addiction
If you or a loved one is dealing with shopping addiction or compulsive buying disorder, you have a few options for getting help. Support groups (online and in-person), books, therapists, and even loved ones can help you get your spending habits back on track. You can even speak with your doctor about possible options and referrals for support groups and other resources.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shopping Addiction
Is shopping addiction a mental illness?
The medical community generally considers shopping addiction or compulsive buying disorder a behavioral addiction, but it is not a formally recognized diagnosis in the DSM-5.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) classifies substance use disorder as a mental illness. However, until we conduct more research on shopping addiction, it’s hard to say that it is a definitive mental illness.
What is considered a shopping addiction?
Shopping addiction requires a genuine level of dysfunction and disordered behavior to be considered an addiction. Addicts often spend much of their time thinking about shopping and buying and become fixated on the high they get from doing those activities.
When shopping interferes with daily functions or severely impacts a person’s financial situation, it is often considered a shopping addiction.
How do you fix a shopping addiction?
Like substance addiction, shopping addictions have no cure. However, many options, such as therapy, financial counseling, and support groups, can improve addictive behavior. A life without the burden of shopping addiction is possible with the proper support and treatment plan.
What is the difference between shopping addiction and compulsive buying?
Shopping addiction is frequently used as an umbrella term for addictive behaviors related to shopping. “Compulsive shopping” or “compulsive buying disorder” describes planned buying behavior used to escape negative feelings and experience the “high” of shopping.
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