Compulsive Shopping

Compulsive Shopping

Compulsive shopping is a common disorder in the current world. It makes somebody become obsessed with shopping to the extent of affecting his/her life. A person can have this problem, but he/she is unaware. Therefore one needs to evaluate his/her before to ascertain whether he/she has the disorder.  Once one recognizes that he/she has the problem, he/she may opt to deal with the problem. There are various characteristics associated with compulsive shopping. They include preoccupation with purchasing unneeded products, spending a lot of time researching on unnecessary items, difficulty to resist buying of unneeded items, financial problems as a result of excessive shopping and problems at home or work due to uncontrolled shopping (Kelly). This problem is associated with anxiety, depression, and negative emotions. Shopping temporarily relieves these feelings. An understanding of these characteristics and feelings can be a great step towards solving the problem. This work will discuss the triggers of compulsive shopping as well as ways of managing the problem.

Triggers of Compulsive Buying

There are various triggers for compulsive shopping. Depression is one of the triggers of compulsive shopping. Depression is a common illness that affects how a person thinks acts and feels. It results in feelings of sadness as well as a loss of interest in things a person previously enjoyed (Attiq 550). This illness can cause physical and emotional problems. Research has been conducted to find out whether there is a link between depression and compulsive buying behavior. A study by He et al. showed there is a positive relationship between depression and Compulsive shopping disorder (32). Numerous studies still show this positive association. Thus, it is possible to state that depression contributes to this disorder. Depressed individuals are likely to get involved in unnecessary shopping in an attempt to deal with their unusual feelings.

Anxiety can also be said to be an antecedent of compulsive shopping. Anxiety can be defined as an internal state of agitation and distress. There are various anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias. Anxiety is mostly studied as a contributor to compulsive buying. Westein et al. found there exists a positive association between compulsive buying behavior and anxiety (48). A recent study by He et al. also shows a positive relationship between anxiety and compulsive buying (33). Compulsive buying makes a consumer reduce tension since it makes a person concentrate on buying and not tension.  Compulsive buying can, therefore, be said to be a remedy for anxiety. Thus, anxiety can be said to be a trigger for compulsive buying.

Self-esteem can also be a trigger for compulsive shopping. Self-esteem is a set of feelings and thoughts about a person’s importance and worth. Low-self esteem is one of the psychological factors that induce compulsive buying (Attiq, 551). Compulsive buyers try to uplift their self-esteem through buying of products. An attempt to uplift their self-esteem leads to reinforcement of compulsive buying behavior. A study by Kukar-Kinney et al. on compulsive buying and self-esteem showed that the purchase of goods by compulsive buyers is a move towards attaining self-confidence and a way of self-expression (67).  Compulsive buying can be associated with low-self esteem. Therefore, since self –esteem has a link with compulsive buying, it can be said to be a trigger of compulsive buying.

Also, materialism contributes to compulsive shopping.  Materialism can be defined as adherence to possession and acquisition. Materialists perceive worldly possession as the major aim in life and a vital course of identity, prosperity, and joy. Materialists take possession as their focal point; hence, they strive to acquire new possessions as they find it essential for their well-being. Materialismtherefore can make people become compulsive buyers. These buyers will even buy products which they will rarely use since their main aim is the possession. Different studies have shown that there is a relationship between materialism and compulsive buying. He at al found that materialism has a positive relationship with compulsive buying. This can be associated with happiness consumers gain by purchasing products (33). It gives them a feeling of achievement since they get possession they aspired to have.

Stress also contributes to compulsive buying. Stress is an uncomfortable emotional behavior that can be predicted by physiological and behavioral changes. Compulsive buyers engage themselves in purchasing of items in order to reduce their stress. Therefore, stress triggers compulsive buying as the buyers attempt to reduce their tension through the buying. Baker at al. found out that there exists a positive relationship between compulsive buying behavior and stress (297). Since previous studies have shown a relationship between stress and compulsive buying, it is possible to conclude that stress is an antecedent of compulsive buying behavior.

Negative feelings can also result in compulsive buying. It is common for compulsive buyers to engage in compulsive buying when they experience negative emotions, such as having an unpleasant day or when they feel depressed (Attiq 554). These buyers tend to purchase items to escape negative feelings. Compulsive buying majorly occurs in case an individual has negative emotions. Compulsive buyers use their buying behavior in order t o control their negative mood. Therefore, negative feelings can be said to trigger compulsive buying behavior.

Ways of Managing Compulsive Buying Behavior

Compulsive buying is a serious problem, and thus anybody with this disorder needs to find a way of dealing with it.  In order to solve the problem, one needs to accept that he/she suffers from this disorder. Without accepting this fact, little or none will be done to combat the problem. Accepting that one has this problem will enable him/her to open up to other people. Opening up to a friend, a relative, or a money mentor who is not a spender will be a step towards liberating himself or herself from the problem (Truel). These people will provide guidance to such individuals which could change   compulsive shoppers’ spending habits

Also, compulsive shoppers should avoid places that may trigger their excessive buying behavior. They need to avoid stores or websites which may make them indulge in compulsive buying behavior (Truel). In case they want to do some shopping it will be advisable to be accompanied by a friend who is not a spender. A person with this problem needs to disclose his/her problem to the friend and set a spending limit, which the friend will help keep. This way,  a person with compulsive buying behavior will be able to avoid buying unnecessary items and buy things that are important to him/her.

Another way of dealing with compulsive shopping is by substituting the spending impulse with healthier behaviors. In case an individual gets attempted to indulge in this kind of shopping, he/she can opt to do other things to drive away from the impulse (Truel). An individual may engage himself in exercises to make him occupied. One may decide to practice a creative hobby, volunteer in some activities, or even taking a walk whatever may be appropriate for that person. These activities are beneficial since they are healthy and will have positive impacts on the body. Secondly, they will prevent one from engaging in compulsive buying, which is a great achievement as it will result in some savings.

Also, in order to combat compulsive shopping, a person needs to make a shopping list whenever he/she wants to shop. A person with the problem of compulsive should attempt to stick to the shopping list to cut on spending (Truel). Continuous adherence to these shopping lists will make a person change the behavior gradually. However, it may be advisable to ask a friend to assist him/her in sticking to the budget.

Again, an individual may need to change the ways of doing things. For instance, a person may opt to do window shopping when stores are closed. An individual may also decide to leave his/her wallet at home if he/she has to do window shopping during the day(Truel). This will enable the individual to reduce his/her expenditure significantly. Window shopping may trigger compulsive shopping; hence, these mechanisms will have to manage the behavior. Moreover, a person may need to avoid discount warehouses. These trigger excessive spending on unnecessary items. If a person is unable to avoid the discount warehouses, he/she may opt to allocate a certain amount of money to be spent in discount houses. This will ensure spending is kept in check.

It is also essential to reward yourself when you meet your target. This reward makes one focused on curbing compulsive shopping behavior. However, the reward needs not to be too expensive as this will undermine someone’s progress.

The setting of financial goals could also help manage compulsive buying. An individual with this problem needs to set goals. The goals need to be short, medium as well as long term (Truel). This will help the individual strive to stay within spending limits. These goals will also make somebody know why he/she is spending less money and the reason he/she is saving for.  A person will be able to check his/her expenditure against the goals at all term period to ascertain whether there are deviations and work towards achieving the targets. Continuous guidance by these financial goals will reduce unnecessary expenditures significantly.

Whenever a person feels he is unable to deal with the problem by himself/herself, there is a need to consult a counselor. Counseling services can enable a person to learn various ways of coping with compulsive buying with the guidance of a counselor. Numerous pieces of advice and practices provided will make a person manage the problem. It will be possible to reduce the behavior to relatively low levels, which may not affect finances or relationships with other persons.

There are various treatments that may help manage compulsive buying disorder. However, there is no treatment which can be said to eliminate the problem. One of the treatment options suggested by researchers is cognitive-behavioral therapy.  A patient is usually evaluated for psychiatric comorbidity more so when he/she is depressed. This makes it possible to institute appropriate pharmacological treatment for the patient. Patients who receive cognitive treatment therapy show a reduction in episodes of compulsive buying compared to those who do not get this treatment (Lejoyeux and Weinstein 250). However, group therapy results in more positive results compared to pharmacological treatment.

There are also other possible methods of treating Compulsive buying. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as citalopram and fluvoxamine are very helpful in treatment compulsive buying disorder(Lejoyeux and Weinstein 251). Also, Opioid antagonists such as nalmefene and naltrexone are potential treatments of this disorder. These drugs have been used to treat gambling addiction and showed positive results.

In conclusion, compulsive shopping is a common and serious problem. There are several triggers for this disorder. They include depression, anxiety, stress, negative feelings, materialism, and self-esteem.  A positive relationship has been found to exist between these triggers and compulsive shopping.  Compulsive buyers engage in shopping in an attempt to deal with these undesirable conditions. Compulsive shopping can change the life of an individual to a great extent. It is, therefore, essential to embrace mechanisms to address the problem. Some of the ways of managing the problem include accepting you have the problem and let friends and relatives help you. A person may also avoid shopping areas, and if the person must go to those zones may leave his/her wallet home. It is also advisable for a person to set financial goals which he/she will work towards achieving in order to deal with the disorder. A person also opts to reward himself/herself if he /she meets targets he/ she has set. This will be an incentive in dealing with the disorder. In case a person is unable to deal with the problem alone, the person needs to consult a counselor to provide him/her with the guidance of curbing the problem. A counselor will provide advice and monitor the progress, which will make it possible to reduce compulsive buying behavior significantly.

Works Cited

Attiq, Saman. “Compulsive Buying Behavior: Antecedents, Consequences and Prevalence in Shopping Mall Consumers of an Emerging Economy.” Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences , vol. 12, no. 2, 2018, pp. 548-570.

Baker, Andrew M., et al. “Linking family structure to impulse-control and obsessive-compulsive buying.” Journal of Consumer Behaviour, vol. 15, no. 4, 2016, pp. 291-302.

He, Heping, et al. “Compulsive buying in China: Measurement, prevalence, and online drivers.” Journal of Business Research, vol. 91, 2018, pp. 28-39.

Kelly, Owen. “Why Compulsive Shopping Disorder Needs to Be Taken More Seriously.” Verywell Mind, 4 Oct. 2010, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-compulsive-shopping-disorder-2510592.

Kukar-Kinney, Monika, et al. “The Role of Price in the Behavior and Purchase Decisions of Compulsive Buyers.” Journal of Retailing, vol. 88, no. 1, 2012, pp. 63-71.

Lejoyeux, Michel, and Aviv Weinstein. “Compulsive Buying.” The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, vol. 36, no. 5, 2010, pp. 248-253.

Truel, Dave. “Compulsive Buying Disorder- What It Is, How to Diagnose It, and How to Overcome It.” MSU Extension, 13 Apr. 2012, www.canr.msu.edu/news/compulsive_buying_disorder-_what_it_is_how_to_diagnose_it_and_how_to_overco.

Weinstein, A., et al. “A study investigating the association between compulsive buying with measures of anxiety and obsessive–compulsive behavior among internet shoppers.” Comprehensive Psychiatry, vol. 57, 2015, pp. 46-50.