Shopping addiction has hit the media in a big way this past month. But, believe it or not, there are still skeptics about this disorder. Naming historic figures who are likely to have been shopaholics (Marie Antoinette, Mary Todd Lincoln, William Randolf Hearst, Jackie O) as CNN has done might not be the best way… Continue reading Shopping Addiction, Not a New Phenomenon
Author: Carrie Rattle
Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence.
Shopping Addiction and Awareness
We’ve all heard the saying that the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. But what if you have one without knowing it? This is often the case with shopping addictions. Shopping sounds a lot less harmful and scary than, say, substance abuse, but it does have its own set of… Continue reading Shopping Addiction and Awareness
Shopping and the Six Human Needs, Part Two
Remember Anthony Robbins’ “six human needs?” Let’s talk about the final three. These are connection, growth, and contribution. How can these help us understand shopping addiction? Shopping can provide some sense of connection with others: you’re engaging in a common activity, what you’re purchasing (a gift) is a way of connecting, or you’re engaged with the… Continue reading Shopping and the Six Human Needs, Part Two
Shopping Addiction, Not Just for Women
Loving shopping is one of the most common female stereotypes. And while data from the Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) reports that out of the estimated 18 million Americans who are affected by shopping addiction, eighty percent are women, that still leaves a significant number of male shopaholics. Most people, regardless of… Continue reading Shopping Addiction, Not Just for Women
Shopping as a Spiritual Adventure
One of the simplest, and most difficult, spiritual practices is being consciously aware. To be consciously aware is more than to notice, although that is the first step. Conscious awareness invites us to engage with our surroundings and the people among whom we find ourselves. It is very easy for us, even tempting, to remain… Continue reading Shopping as a Spiritual Adventure
Shopping And The Six Human Needs Part One
Motivational speaker Anthony Robbins has identified what he calls “the six human needs,” which may help us better understand shopping addiction. The first three are certainty, variety, and significance. It’s easy to see how someone can use shopping to fill all of these needs. No matter how rocky the rest of your life may be,… Continue reading Shopping And The Six Human Needs Part One
Buzz Bissinger’s Shopping Addiction Creates Lots of Buzz
Buzz Bizzinger created a lot of it this week with his tell-all story in the April issue of GQ, a confessional about his shopping and sex addictions. A sportswriter who’s best known for his book Friday Night Lights, subsequently made into a film and a TV series, Bissinger grew up financially privileged, but he was… Continue reading Buzz Bissinger’s Shopping Addiction Creates Lots of Buzz
Buzz Bissinger Checks Into Rehab for Shopping Addiction
Earlier this week, Buzz Bissinger, writer of Friday Night Lights, confessed to shopaholism in GQ article. He admitted to a buying spree that ate up over half a million dollars in less than two years and that he was checking himself into rehab for his shopping addiction. But most compulsive shoppers are neither famous nor… Continue reading Buzz Bissinger Checks Into Rehab for Shopping Addiction
Jessica Simpson’s Online Addiction
InTouch magazine reported not too long ago on Jessica Simpson’s online shopping addiction. While some call her a “fashionista,” her closet bulging with purchases from Fendi, Gucci, and Burberry has even her fiance, Eric Johnson, telling her to slow down on her shopping. Simpson is buying for two -soon three- as she’s expecting a baby… Continue reading Jessica Simpson’s Online Addiction
Battling Shopping Addiction
Easter’s almost here. For those who celebrate it, how good have you been about Lent? Did you try to give up shopping? If you have omniomania – yes, that’s the scientific term for a shopping addiction- it has probably been a rough time. Omniomania is the “most socially reinforced of the behavioral addictions,” and was… Continue reading Battling Shopping Addiction