“Surely, consumers argue, tanning salons wouldn’t be allowed if they were harmful – would they?” This is an example of social validation that Margaret Heffernan covers in her book Willful Blindness. Even though both The U.S Department of Health and Human Service, plus the International Agency for Research on Cancer both state that tanning beds have… Continue reading Do You Have Willful Money Blindness?
Category: Mastering Your Emotions
Getting and Giving the Right Kind of Support: What Overshoppers and their Loved Ones Need to Know!
With the holidays fast approaching, overshoppers and overspenders are heading into some very rough waters. There’s temptation everywhere, and mega pressure to buy, buy, buy. How can you, someone who is struggling with impulses to overshop and overspend, get effective help from your support system? What can you, as a loved one, do or say… Continue reading Getting and Giving the Right Kind of Support: What Overshoppers and their Loved Ones Need to Know!
Stress Busters
So many of us are bombarded by countless stressors; it can be daunting to find a peaceful moment between the internal noise in our head and the external noise at home, at work, or on the street . To give yourself a dose of the calming chemicals that keep our thoughts and feelings at ease,… Continue reading Stress Busters
Compulsive Hoarding and Shopping
It seems like hoarding is getting a lot of media attention recently, with shows like TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive and the Hoarders shows on A&E. While popular television tends to sensationalize, the amount of air-time dedicated to this serious problem has the potential for positive outcomes. As blogger Kristin Bell suggests, these shows might alert… Continue reading Compulsive Hoarding and Shopping
Experimental Analysis of the Relationship Between Depressed Mood and Compulsive Buying
Compulsive shopping is a dire issue which has not been investigated sufficiently. A recent study looked at 18 compulsive buyers compared to a 17-person control group. The proposed hypothesis was that the shopaholics would have enhanced memory of appealing consumer objects if they were made to feel depressed. Interestingly, when examined, the control group had stronger… Continue reading Experimental Analysis of the Relationship Between Depressed Mood and Compulsive Buying
Money Can’t Buy Happiness
With a shopping addiction comes an idea that each purchase will improve one’s happiness, creating an artificial “high” that an addict thinks will last. This is not the case, and although happiness spikes before a purchase it ultimately returns to a baseline level afterward. People known as “high-materialist” consumers have (often unreasonably) high expectations about… Continue reading Money Can’t Buy Happiness
Inside the Mind of the Compulsive Shopper
If there is a compulsive shopper in your life, it can be difficult to understand what is going on in their mind, especially if you think it is easy for them to just quit spending so much money. But compulsive shopping is so much more than that. Compulsive shoppers use spending to cope with a… Continue reading Inside the Mind of the Compulsive Shopper
When Shopping After Weight Loss Is More
Success in a journey towards weight loss is an incredible feeling. After losing weight, many individuals are eager to head to the stores and begin buying smaller-sized clothes for their new and slimmer life. But for those who once had an addiction to food, they might find a new addiction in shopping for their new… Continue reading When Shopping After Weight Loss Is More
Breaking Your Shopping Addiction
If you find yourself using shopping and spending as a way to deal with deeper emotional issues while feeling like you are spiraling out of control, it is time to seek help. Shopping addiction is a very real disorder with a massive impact on more than just your wallet. Furthermore, dealing with those deep-seated issues… Continue reading Breaking Your Shopping Addiction
Handling a Shopping Addiction During the Holidays
Even if the holidays are coming to a close, the season of shopping and spending continues. For serious shopaholics who are looking forward to the end of this time and mindset, this can mean serious trouble. But a shopping addiction is nothing to be laughed at and can have a very real impact on finances… Continue reading Handling a Shopping Addiction During the Holidays