A question I’m asked regularly is about the relationship between compulsive buying disorder and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and it’s just been researched for the first time by a team headed by Dr. Donald Black of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine. Results suggested that compulsive buyers as compared with normal buyers do have elevated levels of ADHD symptoms, but that those levels aren’t high enough to constitute a diagnosis of ADHD. The ADHD symptoms were also correlated with impulsivity.
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.