Ronnie Haring, a 38-year-old mother, is one of 6% of Americans struggling with compulsive buying. She describes the highs she experiences while shopping, as well as the shame she feels after returning home. She incurred thousands of dollars in debt by buying items in bulk: shirts in every color, every scent of hand soap, etc. It was not until she turned to shoplifting and was arrested, held in jail for a half hour before she was bailed out by her mother, that she realized it was time to receive help. She began therapy to discuss the roots of her compulsive shopping: issues of self-esteem and insecurity, as well as feelings about her parent’s divorce. She now keeps a checkbook with her husband in order to spend responsibly.
Read full article here: Shopaholic Says Shoplifting Arrest Was Her Wake-Up Call to Get Help
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.