Effects of Shopaholism

Effects of Shopaholism

Shopaholism, a compulsive buying disorder, which affects women and men, can cause psychological and financial harms. Every day, because of our mass consumption society, more people turn into shopaholics as a way to escape from emotional problems. In other words, they get hooked on shopping without noticing. Lourdes Joza writes that “shopaholics use this method to experience pleasure. They feel more important and better after they buy something” (¶ 3). It seems to be normal, but the reality is that is an all-consuming activity, in which most of the consumers spend a lot even if they do not have enough money. In the same way, compulsive spenders usually buy things that they do not need at all. For instance, a woman goes to a store to get a pair of shoes but instead come home with ten pairs of them just to satisfy her dire necessity to be happy (Al-khashroum, n.d.). However, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry (2006), men are almost as likely to suffer from the condition as women, because they feel they have power and control when they get whatever they want, such as big items. This addiction also leads to another negative effect, a personal economic loss. Compulsive shoppers crave many purchases that are usually acquired by using credit cards. For example, in Nicaragua there are many stores, such as Galerias Siman, Carrion, supermarkets, etc. that offer plastic to provide a lot of benefits to its users. Some people have more than one and utilize it uncontrollable. As a result, they get deep of debt without knowing how to deal with this. Even though shopaholism is difficult to identify, there are some things that compulsive shoppers can do to treat with this issue. First, shopaholics must accept their problem; then, they need to have willpower to manage their desire to shop. Finally, the next time they should stop and think “Is it really a necessity?” To sum up, shopping can be addictive for many people, which leads them into an emotional and financial instability.

References

Al-khashroum, Dr. M. (n.d.). Shopaholism. Epharmapedia. Retrieved June, 27, 2012, from http://www.epharmapedia.com/news/details/11/124/Shopaholism.html

Estimated prevalence of compulsive buying behavior in the United States (2006, October 01). American Journal of Psychiatry. Retrieved June, 27, 2012, from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=97146.

Joza, L. (n.d.). Hooked on shopping. Topics Online Magazine. Retrieved June, 27, 2012, from http://www.topics-mag.com/index.html.

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