Shopping may not be a substance like drugs or alcohol, but it can be addictive nevertheless. It’s also known as oniomania, from the Greek onios “for sale” and mania, which is of course related to excessive excitement. Those who grew up around shopping addiction are more at risk than others, but those who grew up feeling deprived of material things have an elevated risk as well. Many shopping addicts use material things to fill an emotional void in their lives. Others are addicted to the “rush” they feel when making a purchase. In today’s consumer culture, an estimated ten percent of Americans suffer from a shopping or buying disorder.
Read the full article here: The reality of shopping addiction
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.