Trips to the mall are the fix some Americans need to manage the stress of their lives. Like an alcoholic craves a drink, so does a compulsive shopper rush to a retailer. The compulsion may begin early in life, regardless of income. The reasons for chronic shopping range from low self esteem, to depression, or… Continue reading Shopping Addiction a Growing Problem in the U.S.
Category: Retail Psychology
Understanding a Shopping Addiction
A shopping addiction can provide entertainment for television and movies as in the show “My Shopping Addiction” and the popular movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” Far from being glamorous, this disorder can cause serious trouble in real life. It can be hard to spot this addictive behavior, but it is more common than you may think. Behind… Continue reading Understanding a Shopping Addiction
Partners in Crime: How Who You Shop With Affects Your Shopping Behavior
It’s interesting to note that who you shop with can affect how you shop. Jill Chivers, a recovering shopaholic, recently experienced first hand how a friend can affect shopping behavior and why. She and her friend, who is currently dealing with a shopping problem, had gone to lunch and afterward her friend expressed a desire… Continue reading Partners in Crime: How Who You Shop With Affects Your Shopping Behavior
Wanting Everything is (Almost) the Same as Wanting Nothing
Aristotle said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” Joshua Becker, in making his point, shares this quote and some very personal insight. Becker has a lovely six-year-old daughter: friendly, fun, intelligent and a collector of everything. She has a passion… Continue reading Wanting Everything is (Almost) the Same as Wanting Nothing
Menstruation and the Mall
A recent study conducted by the University of Hertfordshire shows that women are more likely to be involved with over-shopping behaviors at certain times of their menstrual cycle. British psychologists, Karen Pine and Ben Fletcher, whose research results are published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, studied 443 women ages 18 to 50. They… Continue reading Menstruation and the Mall
How to Avoid Buying Things You Don’t Really Need
In a society that seems to have created an Olympic sport out of consumerism, we find ourselves in competition to fill our lives with the most stuff possible. Now many of us have more than we can use, more than we need and, amazingly, more that we really want. In order to stop buying things… Continue reading How to Avoid Buying Things You Don’t Really Need
“Addicted” to Shopping?
The Atlantic is renown for the quality of their reportage. This article, using clickable links, pulls together information from various recent studies. Brian Fung looks into the issue of whether one can be “addicted” to shopping. He notes the similarity between drug addicts and shopping addicts while each is involved in their addictions. Both groups… Continue reading “Addicted” to Shopping?
The Parable of the Lorelei
A mermaid, beautiful and alluring, sings from the top of a rocky point in the most dangerous section of the Rhine River. Like the sirens of the Homer’s Odyssey, she causes sailors to jump overboard and captains to forget about the deadly dangers surrounding them. Is this German legend about a seductive mermaid a parable… Continue reading The Parable of the Lorelei
When Everything is Taken Away, We See Who We Truly Are
Becoming Minimalist blogger Joshua Becker shares the story of Gracia and Martin Burnham, who were kidnapped and taken hostage by terrorists in 2001. The couple spent a year in the jungle, and her husband was killed during the rescue attempt. She talked with Becker about her experience and what became important when they had no… Continue reading When Everything is Taken Away, We See Who We Truly Are
Stop Being So Mean!
Sometimes we’re kinder to other people than we are to ourselves. Jill Chivers writes about body image, and the voices in our head that are not always supportive. If a friend spoke to you like that, would you still be friends? Chivers says, “…we keep these ‘awful’ friends who live inside us…drip feeding us the… Continue reading Stop Being So Mean!