Shopaholism is one of the problems of our time, which has become widespread in the last decade. Many people enjoy shopping, but when shopping becomes an obsession that overshadows all other interests, then we are talking about mental addiction. Shopaholism is expressed in an irresistible desire to acquire more and more things and as often as possible, and the lack of such an opportunity brings discomfort to a person and drives him into apathy.

Another name for the disorder, oniomania, is of Greek origin and means "shopping madness". And although the WHO has not yet officially included shopaholism in the list of mental disorders, the existence of a problem is recognized by psychotherapists and treated with special methods in the West. In our country, about 3% of the population suffers from such addiction, mostly residents of large cities, and special therapy has not yet been provided. Contrary to popular belief, not only women have an irresistible desire to make purchases, some men are also in captivity of oniomania. The addict is not necessarily obsessed with buying fashionable clothes and accessories, it can also be home goods, antiques, cars, or just small knick-knacks.

Causes of shopaholism

Like any other addicted person, the shopaholic seeks first and foremost solace and seeks to get away from problems. The origins of oniomania, according to many psychologists, originate in childhood, when the gifts of the parents were perceived by the child as a sign of love and care, with a lack of such in true expression. Many shopaholics come from wealthy and outwardly prosperous families, where material values ​​were put on a pedestal. But there are other reasons that turn a normal person into an obsessed onioman:

• Lack of communication and understanding in the close environment;
• Hidden complexes and self-doubt, which are compensated by the possession of new and fashionable things;
• Stress and a near depressive state that you want to “forget” with the help of purchases.
• Nervousness and a tendency to tantrums (shops - as a means to calm down and feel imaginary power);
• Exposure to public opinion and easy suggestibility. The “cult of consumption” that reigns in modern society easily affects the mind of a morally unstable person with a lack of life guidelines, making him think that things are the only indicator of happiness and success.

Signs of shopaholism

The line between the joy of shopping and the development of addiction is quite thin, and the presence of provoking factors can easily turn a person into an onioman. Many purchases made in a fit of shopaholism turn out to be unnecessary and useless, resulting in emptiness and disappointment, including due to material damage. However, society as a whole supports the passion for shopping; there is even a special club of shopaholics working in the online space and helping people in choosing the things they really need. But, of course, there is no question of what kind of cure for addiction.

So, how to determine the presence of shopaholism and not confuse it with a harmless love of shopping and shopping?

• frequent visits to stores without a specific goal to buy something specific;
• the desire to constantly look at the windows and the goods presented;
• passion for glossy fashion magazines;
• the desire to be aware of the latest information about sales and fashion news;
• frequent acquisition of things without objective reasons;
• the need to discuss with others the purchased goods and their benefits;
• bad mood and longing in the absence of the opportunity to visit stores;
• the fading of interest in everything that is not related to shopping and shopping.

Shopaholism is not at all harmless, as it might seem at first glance. Indeed, in addition to financial difficulties, gaps in the family budget and a lot of debts, oniomania alienates a person from his loved ones, who often do not share his passion. Dependence also inevitably leads to a narrowing of the circle of interests and the loss of social ties. The shopaholic becomes increasingly lonely and tries to compensate for this by shopping, which leads to even greater distance from family and friends. It turns out a vicious circle. In this scenario, the addict is subject to depression, neuroses and mental disorders.

Types of shopaholism

Shopaholism as a phenomenon has its own characteristics, and depending on the nature of the addicted person, it can take on various forms. In psychology, there is a conditional division of shopaholics into types according to behavior and personality traits:

• Spontaneous shopaholic. This is a person who does not recognize his addiction and does not have obsessive thoughts about shopping. He goes to the store for a specific purpose, often carries a shopping list with him. But if he discovers that there are goods on sale or a sale, he will definitely acquire a lot of useless items. And so every time.
• Conscious shopaholic. Does not deny his unbridled desire to acquire things, goes shopping aimlessly to relax or just pass the time.
• Purposeful shopaholic. The most difficult kind of shopaholics. Makes purchases unconsciously and cannot even answer what significant amounts were spent on.

Shopaholism is also divided into true and reasonable. The first option involves the purchase of everything in a row, without purpose and meaning, and the second - the acquisition of the necessary things, but in large quantities, as a result of which part of the purchased is thrown away.

Treatment of shopaholism

Most psychological addictions, including shopaholism, unlike physical ones, are not able to completely subjugate a person's consciousness. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy in many cases helps to solve the problem. But the patient himself must have a desire and awareness of his own dependence. If required, a course of antidepressants and tranquilizers is prescribed. After all, at the beginning of treatment, a shopaholic will have to overcome a kind of “breakdown” associated with the lack of a “stimulant” - shopping and a bunch of purchases.

Next, a person should analyze the degree of usefulness and expediency of their purchases. After that, you need to get rid of unnecessary things. Do not throw them away, it is better to sell or give them to those who really need them.

During the course of the therapeutic course and for a long time after it, you should visit the shops, having a clearly fixed amount of money and a list of necessary things on hand. Shopping rules discipline a person, preventing them from making rash purchases, as before.

Self-persuasion is also an effective point of therapy. Every time I go shopping, it is recommended to say out loud or mentally in front of the mirror that you have everything you need, and going to the store is possible without buying things, and the mood will still remain excellent.

The well-known joke about the two main problems of some women - "no place in the closet" and "nothing to wear" - has a good reason. This mutually reinforcing point of view of some people - shopaholics - can be explained by the internal imbalance of their experiences. It is important to determine what emotions a person experiences (irritation, depression, anger, joy) at the time of the “attack” of the desire to buy almost everything that catches his eye.

A couple of decades ago, in our once great country, there was no such thing as “shopaholism” at all, and it couldn’t be because of empty shelves in stores. The abundance of goods in the modern trading network around the world contributed to the emergence of such a fashionable habit today. This habit is not considered harmful, but, you see, it causes a lot of trouble and serious everyday problems. The result of such a hobby is a tangible blow to both the wallet (on the family budget) and the morale of family members, including the shopaholic himself, because sooner or later the results of his actions begin to disrupt a normal lifestyle. And then you need to urgently decide how to get rid of shopaholism.

The essence of the problem

You can get rid of the problem by studying its causes. Shopaholism can be caused by both internal and external factors.

According to psychologists, the causes of shopomania or, in the medical language of oniomania, may lie in deep childhood, which took place in a poverty-stricken family in the absence of attention and love from parents. Having matured, the former child strives all his life to catch up, to fill the gap in the lack of pleasant sensations through endlessly repeating purchases. Such dubious pleasure does not last very long, therefore it requires new and new sensations, which means it pushes for new purchases.

If childhood was colored by the fulfillment of all your whims, then at a conscious age the habit of pampering yourself will grow with you and will not leave you until you drive it away yourself.

An adult who is faced with failures in his personal life (quarrels in the family, with the dislike of his spouse) or in his profession (slow career growth, inability to defend his position, low wages), is looking for a substitute for “happiness” in spacious retail premises. And not finding it, in moments of rare enlightenment, he feels remorse because of his inappropriate behavior and bitterness from the fact of financial waste. Therefore, at the end of the day, once and for all, he gives himself a word - no shopping ... And in the morning everything repeats.

Internal factors of shopaholism

As we have already mentioned, much is due to the psychological characteristics of the individual. Most often, a person’s emotions that he experiences in everyday life due to emotional stress, stress, overstrain, moral fatigue, loneliness, the routine of everyday life require a splash. Otherwise, they lead to the emergence of self-doubt, to an underestimation of self-esteem.

Shopping tours are a great opportunity to switch your attention to what gives you pleasure and even joy. As a result, the body releases the hormone of joy - serotonin and the hormone of emotions - adrenaline. To intensify and prolong our joy, we open our wallet ready to pay for these sensations. In response, we get enthusiastic looks, replicas of store employees about our purchase, which significantly increases our self-esteem. The power over the situation impresses us, therefore it is remembered. From time to time we strive to feel it again. Such short-term feelings at the time of purchase create the illusion of control over your life, the illusion of inner freedom.

External factors of shopaholism

The impulse to reckless shopping is formed due to the variety of marketing techniques used by store owners. If beautifully designed shop windows have become more or less familiar surroundings for us, then seasonal and not only seasonal periods of various discounts and promotions successfully stimulate our desire to make meaningless purchases. Well, how can you get past an institution where you “only today” will be allowed to keep 70% of the cost for yourself or they will give you three items for the price of one? An impulsive desire to immediately make another purchase arises at the thought that tomorrow this thing will return to its original value.

It must be admitted that such promotions do not always save customers' money, because most often the store will do a lot in order not only to return the money spent, but also to make a profit. Nearby on the shelf will be an item of more vital necessity, which you will be forced to buy even at an inflated price. But these are the subtleties of the pricing policy of trading enterprises and their habits of misleading customers, and we would like to figure out how to get rid of shopaholism.

Symptoms

The following signs suggest a commitment to shopaholism:

• decreased tone, apathy without the opportunity to visit stores, irritability from the irregularity of purchases;
• visiting shopping centers for no reason;
• regular many hours and aimless wandering around the trading floors, even if there is no need for purchases;
• senseless examination of all kinds of goods;
• a hard-to-control desire to buy a lot of what you see in the absence of a good reason;
• visiting stores or their departments that have nothing to do with your needs and your lifestyle;
• constant discussions of their purchases with friends and acquaintances, lack of interest in other topics;
• an abundance of acquired things that remain unused;
• full satisfaction and elation during the shopping period;
• persistent disapproval by your inner circle of your purchases;
• when you are convicted of excessive unjustified spending, you begin to hide the fact of purchases and underestimate their true value.

Shopaholic fanatical- the person who has an irresistible passion not only for purchasing goods in stores, but also an irresistible desire to discuss new items and fashion trends.

If at the same time it is important to buy more and cheaper, and also, if quality is of less interest than quantity, then you have business shopaholic.

Shopaholic indifferent it is not this or that purchase and possession that is occupied, but rather the shopping process itself: the anticipation of shopping, walking through the halls with goods, choosing new purchases, acquiring them, then enjoying the purchased, but, unfortunately, for a short time.

Shopaholic emotional, going to the store for one dress, returns with a lot of bags in his hands, in which there are shoes, a skirt, a scarf, a bracelet, earrings, a hairpin ... And something from underwear. Such an abundance of purchases clutters up the living space, loads it with unnecessary things and, most surprisingly, does not bring long-term satisfaction, for which so much effort has been applied.

Note! It is the illusion of freedom to do as one wants, spoiledness with roots from childhood, dissatisfaction with a lack of attention, adrenaline as a pleasant stress - all this “hooks me up” on shopping.

cure

For those who understand that “the salvation of a drowning person is the work of the drowning person himself,” our advice will be useful. You can get rid of an obsessive state on your own only by honestly recognizing the fact of dependence on your dubious desires.

Step-by-step measures to combat shopaholism may approximately look like this:

1. Make a shopping plan for the month, taking into account your financial capabilities.
2. Before you go to the store, make a list of essential purchases.
3. Going to the store, take with you only the necessary amount in accordance with the shopping list.
4. If you have an urgent desire to buy something, move this item to the next month's list.
5. Regularly analyze the shopping list, noting those made spontaneously.
6. Do not arrange excursions to retail chains, especially to elite stores with expensive goods, where the price is most often determined not only by the quality of things, but to a greater extent by their brand.
7. Set life priorities, engage in self-esteem, draw a conclusion for yourself - what will elevate you in your own eyes.

It's hard to dispute the fact that shopping is hard work, and not just because you have to walk a lot. As it turns out, this occupation ultimately takes away not only physical, but also moral strength. A devastating disease - shopaholism - is able to irrevocably take away:

• money,
• strength - physical and moral,
• precious time.

As a result, there is a threat of material and spiritual ruin, accompanied by deep depression and loss of life values.

Note! Shopaholism has long been recognized as dangerous. This psychological illness was more often observed abroad. The United States is recognized as the birthplace of shopaholism. In the post-Soviet space, only 3% of buyers were suspected of it. Today, shopping addiction is compared to addiction to alcohol, to the strong drug heroin, to addiction to slot machines.

A lot of purchases, unsupported by the need for them, followed by a search for justification for oneself and one's behavior are clear signs of shopaholism. As with any disease, shopomania can and should be eliminated if both the disease itself and the importance of getting rid of it are recognized in time. And then new colors will play in your life. It will acquire a new meaning - positive and healthy.

Video

More information about the psychology of shopaholism is described in the following video clip:

I know for myself what pleasant feelings you visit when you just bought the thing you like. And, as a rule, you come for one little thing, and buy something else. Sometimes even just walking around the supermarket, having money in their pocket, one gets the feeling that they are cramped in their wallet, they want to be free, or rather, they want to be spent. And now you can easily do without another face mask, scarf, nail polish (that's me, on the little things), or even the hundredth dress, blouse, shoes ... but no! Once you have money in your pocket, you have to spend it! Otherwise, some kind of discontent, dissatisfaction with life is felt inside, the mood deteriorates.

I myself had several times when I drove by public transport through the city center, past shop windows and, seeing one blouse, I wildly wanted to buy it. There are enough blouses in my closet, but no, I want this one, period! I didn’t give a damn about business, jumped out of the minibus and rushed to the cherished store to buy the coveted thing. For all the time while it hangs in my closet, I put it on five times at most. And was it worth disrupting a business meeting for the sake of a momentary purchase? At the time, I thought it was worth it. Let the whole world wait, but it is this thing that will cheer me up and relieve me of depression.

You can get rid of stress by following the advice of our editor-in-chief Anastasia Guy from the article “How to get rid of stress”

Luckily, these sorts of outbursts rarely happen to me. Although there are moments when you really wander around the store (or while you are waiting for someone or for a company) not purposefully and buy some little thing, because a voice inside whispers to you: “Are you leaving the store without a purchase?”. As if with this you will desecrate the holy shelves of the supermarket, and the spirit of the supermarket will curse youJ

It’s funny, it’s funny, but if something incomprehensible sometimes happens to me, who in principle does not depend on purchases, and blows the roof at the sight of sales, then what can we say about people who really can’t live a day without spending money? It doesn't matter what, even for the smallest detail, but the fact remains - there was a purchase. What motivates them to do this and should they try to get rid of it?

First we need to figure out what shopping gives us, what emotions do we get? And only then try to get rid of shopaholism.

Of course, for a woman to become the owner of beautiful clothes or accessories is a holiday, albeit a small one.

Trying on a new dress that fits perfectly on the figure, the woman's eyes begin to glow, her face is smoothed, and she is getting younger before her eyes! Therefore, undoubtedly, many experience joy and satisfaction after shopping.

But there are also pitfalls here. Did you go to the store with a shopping list because you need to update your wardrobe, or buy seasonal items? What is the purpose of shopping? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this is a completely normal action for every person. But if you just have nothing to do or you feel apathy, and you go to the store to “break away”, buying everything you need and don’t need, then this is no longer shopping, but shopaholism.

Indeed, scientists have proven that those who shop uncontrollably have a lack of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. And in this way a person thinks that he makes up for this happiness by squandering. But this is how a certain dependence turns out: you made a purchase - you are happy, if you didn’t - the world went out, everything is bad and sad. But this is nonsense! Is happiness really measured only by acquiring some thing, and in the case of shopaholics, it doesn’t matter what, as long as the things!

It is very easy to determine whether you are a shopaholic or an ordinary person who sometimes just gets carried away with shopping, but does not feel addicted to them. Shopaholics spend all their free time wandering among the shelves, shops, attending sales, they have no other hobbies. These people are simply maniacally willing to own this minute the thing that they just liked. And the archive is necessary or not, as a rule, it becomes clear at home, but it's too late, the money has been spent. Moreover, most often, the shopaholic does not particularly look at the price. A person does not think at that moment that he is undermining the family budget, that he will have to go into debt. And by the way, usually shopaholics do not get out of loans.

By the way, Rashid Kirranov's article will be very useful for those who are thinking about buying their own home. I advise you to read "How to get a mortgage loan?" .

Do you already agree that this is not funny and not at all a harmless shopping trip? Shopaholics are like drug addicts, only each has its own dose. A disease that needs to be treated. After all, otherwise, being in a family with such a person, you will not save up for a large necessary purchase, you will simply lose him as a person. After all, what can you talk about with a person who does not develop on his own? Yes, he knows about all the fashion news, about the latest collections of designers, everything about clothes, but this is a limited topic for conversation.

Shopaholism in its advanced stage is when, when a person comes home, he reviews all his purchases and starts blaming himself, scolding himself, since he doesn’t really need all the things. With the help of shopping, a person wanted to get himself out of depression, to cheer up, but it turns out that he only drove himself there even more. A vicious circle that can lead to a nervous breakdown. So the shopaholic must be saved unambiguously.

In other words, a person compensates for the lack of attention, affection, care by going to the store. Give him this care, let him feel needed and loved. Communication will not replace any branded thing.

Another reason for shopaholism can be low self-esteem. In women, this occurs most often. Dissatisfaction with their appearance, loneliness, little communication and ... the fruits of self-criticism on the face - a girl, a woman strives to compensate for all this in stores. But the hundredth dress will not make her a beauty, while this worm sits inside and sharpens the brain, suggesting that she is a loser, a gray mouse abandoned and abandoned by everyone. Here YET there is no person nearby who will help increase self-esteem, which is called "help yourself." You can't drive yourself into a corner. Now there are also trainings that increase self-esteem and psychological courses, and we recommend reading the article by Anastasia Guy “Self-esteem is higher than it, higher. Low self-esteem ruins life."

It is also recommended to audit your closet more often. First, you will know what items you have so you don't have to buy similar ones. Secondly, in the depths of the closet you can sometimes find so many forgotten things that a trip to the store will be postponed on its own.

If shopaholism is not at an advanced stage, then following the above tips, you can deal with store addiction quite quickly. But since we have already understood that shopaholism is a mental disorder, a specialist will help to establish its cause. Self-medication and advice from friends can only hurt. So if shopping goes to extremes: constant disruptions, dissatisfaction with purchases, a bunch of loans, quarrels with household members, it is best to contact a professional psychotherapist, because jokes with your psyche can be dangerous.

And finally, I would like to give some tips on how to make purchases correctly. This applies to absolutely everyone, because anyone can buy too much.

The golden rule of shopping is never go shopping hungry or in a bad mood. Sweep off the shelves everything that for a moment seemed attractive to you. As for products, it is possible that a jar of squid, capers and red caviar will not be lost at home and will be successfully eaten. But you went to the store with a completely different list of products, and now your budget is out of bounds;

— about the list! Always write what you need to buy and stick to it. This is how you learn to control yourself. Yes, we saw a cute trinket, and not expensive, so what if you buy it? Not! Take yourself lightly and give up the thing without which you have easily managed all this time and continue to live happily ever after. By learning to tell yourself “stop”, you will pass by tempting little things just with a smile, and not with a manic desire to get it, no matter what;

- when buying an expensive thing, weigh all the pros and cons. Check its quality, look for analogues. Better yet, leave the thing until the morning. If you wake up, you are also sure that you want to buy it, feel free to buy it;

- a similar trick can be done when you are not sure which, for example, dress to choose - one or two at once? Leave the boutique, walk down the aisles, sit in a cafe, relax and think - is it really necessary for you to have two things at once? If not, then the color and style of which dress appeals to you more - then take it;

- take with you exactly the amount that you can afford to spend for this shopping trip. This way you won't get into debt and you won't have to cut your budget next week;

I recommend reading about how to learn how to plan and take into account the family budget.

- Listen only to yourself and your intuition. Sellers sometimes try to shake things off for you by showering you with compliments. And sometimes friends are either jealous or tired of walking among the shelves with you, so they say that this thing sits perfectly so that you buy it as soon as possible and you can finally leave the store. The same goes for your young man or husband - he will say anything positive about you, just stop his agony of waiting in the supermarket;

- to save up for a specific large thing, decide on the amount you can save per month. But at the same time, so that you do not feel disadvantaged. Completely depriving yourself of small pleasures, such as going to a cafe with friends, can also lead to depression.

In general, there is nothing wrong with shopping if you make them without fanaticism, deliberately and rationally. A pretty thing and the truth, can cheer you up. But this should not be the norm and a lifeline for depression. Sports, theater, cinema, museums, exhibitions - that's where you can go to get rid of temporary apathy. May your life be varied and varied. You yourself can decorate it in multi-colored paints, and eating far from material energy. Life is much more interesting than wandering through the labyrinths of racks of clothes.

Mila Alexandrova

shopaholic- a person in trouble. Relatives can help him, but only in symmetry with the willingness of the “victims of the stores” to get rid of the painful craving for purchasing goods once and for all. When dealing with addiction, it is important to keep in mind that not all addicts are willing to admit that they have a problem, which makes the healing process much more difficult. How to overcome the shopaholic in yourself?

Recognize that uncontrolled spending is not justified

Necessity, aesthetics, the benefits of achieving a state of psychological comfort - all this is not at all about the effects of uncontrolled shopping. Practice proves that hundreds of shoes and dozens of dresses are not needed for a normal existence. Beauty can be emphasized by a sense of taste, things created by one's own hands, the use of measure in make-up and wardrobe style. Understanding that the closet is full of things, and there is nothing to wear, does not at all contribute to the harmonization of the internal state and the state of the environment. Replacing intellectual and creative development with purchases, the shopaholic tries to fill the void inside: the lack of communication, love, friendship, demand. The reason is the answer: need to find a platform for self-realization!

Accept help offered by caring people

If beliefs and conversations do not work, you just need to deprive the shopaholic of free access to finances: take credit cards, do not provide pocket money, hide jewelry so that it does not take it to the pawnshop. It is impossible to buy anything without money: nothing will be sold for beautiful eyes. A "shop addict" can go to friends to borrow, but thoughtful assistants have already managed to warn them and forbade them in any way to contribute to the shopaholic fantasies of a not quite healthy person.

Avoid situations in which the residual effects of consumer addiction can be actualized

Psychologists advise making lists and not going grocery shopping on an empty stomach, so as not to fall into the network of marketers. This way you can buy what you really need and avoid feeling guilty about wasting money. From the point of view of economy, it is 100% justified. A clear understanding of what is really needed and the rejection of excesses saves from the inability to normalize one's needs. Wearing a new hat in public, or changing clothes every hour, or having ten fans or five washing machines, all this will not help to leave a mark on the hearts. Benefactors, philanthropists are remembered, who are able to direct their favorable financial situation to the service of those who are really in need. A shopaholic should at least once show how sick children or orphans live, then he will think a hundred times before throwing a lot of money at the next sale. Instead, he will head to the orphanage to order books or put in new windows.