Are You A Compulsive Shopper?
Understanding Compulsive Shopping
Compulsive shopping is an addiction and is much like any physical addiction. Individuals who shop compulsively get a non-chemical “high” out of buying things, whether it is clothes, books, jewelry, furniture, decorations, or accessories. Compulsive shopping can be a hard habit to break and if left untreated, compulsive shopping can wreck havoc on a person’s life. To make matters worse, many compulsive shoppers have access to credit cards – making the addiction even more dangerous.
Are You A Compulsive Shopper?
There are many telltale signs and symptoms indicative of compulsive shopping. One of the biggest signs that someone may be a compulsive shopper is the hoarding of unopened purchases. When in the home of a compulsive shopper, it is not uncommon to find boxes or bags of clothes with the price tags still on, gadgets that have never been opened, DVDs that have never been watched and CDs that have never been listened to. Another huge sign of a compulsive shopper is serious credit card debt because many compulsive shoppers rely on credit cards to finance their addiction to spending.
The Consequences
In addition to a horrendous financial situation, a compulsive shopper can often find themselves facing marital problems. When excessive buying results in disagreements, and financial difficulties result in serious resentment, relationships are often put to the test.
The Remedy
Unfortunately, compulsive shopping can not be magically cured by freezing a compulsive shopper’s credit cards or accompanying the person on every outing to the mall. Oftentimes, compulsive shoppers are dealing with issues of insecurity or inadequacy which leads them to spend money they don’t have on things they don’t need.
The best way to help a compulsive shopper is to plan an intervention, get them the help they need, and while their credit cards may need to be frozen at first, when they are ready get them back on the road to recovery with low-limit credit cards.