David Raudenbush writes about his experience as a shopaholic and his recovery. Experiencing shopping as pleasurable lasts for a while, Raudenbush says, but then the guilt sets in. As he examined his finances and realized how much money he should have had available, he realized that shopping had become a hobby and a way to… Continue reading Men Can Be Shopaholics Too
Category: Online Shopping Addiction
Ways to Avoid Compulsive Shopping
Here are some tips to help you manage compulsive shopping behaviors. First, don’t shop if you’re in a bad mood. A Harvard study shows people who are upset are more likely to overspend. Instead, work out or volunteer. Second, just because something is a bargain, you don’t have to buy it. The savings may be… Continue reading Ways to Avoid Compulsive Shopping
Why Fighting Addiction Can Feel Like a Game of Whac-A-Mole
When you are trying to abstain from an addictive behavior, often another behavior will pop up in its place, says Dr. David Sack in his Addiction Recovery blog. This phenomenon is called cross-addiction: in which an addict attempts to satisfy a craving or perceived need for normalcy by engaging in a new addictive behavior (for example,… Continue reading Why Fighting Addiction Can Feel Like a Game of Whac-A-Mole
How to Battle Shopping Addiction
Self-control issues and being surrounded by a culture of materialism contribute to the problem of shopping addiction, according to Terrence Shulman, of the Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft and Spending. Are you unable to stop yourself from buying? Do you have conflicts with your spouse over purchases? Ever lie about what you’ve bought? You may… Continue reading How to Battle Shopping Addiction
Addiction to Shopping — When Spending Spirals Out of Control
Can a person be addicted to shopping? Many mental health professionals would say, “yes;” comparing compulsive shopping to kleptomania, gambling and extreme internet usage. Sometimes shopping is used to make one feel better, and it usually works, until the crash of guilt and anxiety follow. The withdrawal feelings experienced when a shopaholic tries to quit… Continue reading Addiction to Shopping — When Spending Spirals Out of Control
Have a Good-Not a Goods-Holiday: The good life comes from doing, not having
With the holiday season upon us (and retailers lathered up for it), I want to remind us all (as I remind myself): a good holiday doesn’t have to be a goods holiday. And this year, in spite of the massive sales machine that grinds 24/7 from now until Christmas, it’s a little easier to live… Continue reading Have a Good-Not a Goods-Holiday: The good life comes from doing, not having
Kick Yourself If Need Be…Don’t Use Shopkick!
Yet another inviting technological marketing ploy has emerged this season—just in time for holiday shopping. Shopkick, a new, free smartphone app, offers reward points for simply checking into stores, more points for scanning products, and still more points for buying. The points can be redeemed for gift cards at participating merchants—presently, Macy’s, American Eagle Outfitters,… Continue reading Kick Yourself If Need Be…Don’t Use Shopkick!
Weighing-In (Part 2)
We may think our wants equal our needs. In other words, that we just have to have a certain pair of shoes or gadget to be happy, successful, etc. While this can seem simple when we’re talking about basic needs like shelter and food, it can get murky when we’re looking at other items. Here’s an… Continue reading Weighing-In (Part 2)
Weighin-In (Part 1)
“Passionately confused,” which nicely sums up our current national conversation about health care,image also characterizes the personal financial grasp of most overshoppers. Few compulsive buyers have a clear idea of how much they spend and what they spend it on. (The incentive for their confusion is straightforward: it supports denial. As for the passion, it’s… Continue reading Weighin-In (Part 1)
Gender and Internet Shopping
Less in the Pink Than You Might Think No, it’s not that the rate of internet shopping has fallen off. It’s that in cyberspace, women, who in the popular imagination make up the vast majority of shoppers, are substantially outnumbered—and substantially outspent—by men. Reviewing the latest PayPal data from the United Kingdom, Charlotte Cowell notes… Continue reading Gender and Internet Shopping