Shopping Addiction

The term ‘shopaholic’ is often used light-hearted, irreverently. Ironically, it is a phrase that can often be found emblazoned on purchasable merchandise, such as t-shirts, tea towels, hats or tote bags. But this image of shopping addiction as a mild or even quirky personality trait is far from the reality of living as a shopping addict. Collectively, there is a risk that we perhaps do not take shopping addiction seriously enough. At Banbury Lodge, we know that an addiction to shopping can have severe impacts, leading to a range of psychosocial and economic stresses that can lead to financial insecurity, relationship dissolution and risky states of mental health. We see shopping addiction as a condition, not a slogan – and aim to provide specialist therapeutic support to those who need it.

Shopping addiction

‘Shopping addiction’ is the colloquial term for a specific type of behavioural addiction associated with compulsive purchasing. In clinical contexts, this type of addiction is sometimes also referred to as Compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD).

What is a shopping addiction?

Shopping addiction (or CBSD) is now categorised as an ‘other specified impulse control disorder’ in the International Classification of Diseases.

Am I addicted to shopping?

The line between excessive shopping and addiction

There is a distinct difference between shopping as a bad habit and shopping as an addictive stimulus or behaviour. The condition is defined as an experience of time-consuming shopping activities that are not needed or not utilised for the intended purposes.’ Purchasing associated with shopping addiction can take place either online or in person.

Diagnostic criteria for the condition include:

• Little to no control over spending habits
• Spending in increasing amounts
• Spending in increasing frequency
• Losing hours to shopping and shopping-related activity
• Neglecting other responsibilities
• Continuing despite harmful consequences

What may begin as ‘spending money for comfort’ can spiral into a repetitive habit, leading to various negative consequences. In this sense, shopping addiction/ CBSD appears to follow the cycles of maladaptive behaviour often seen in addiction aetiology.

Signs of a shopping addiction

The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS) is used to screen for addiction. This screening tool is useful for identifying the line between problematic purchasing habits and a clinical condition.

Some of the signs of shopping addiction indicated on the scale include:

• Identifying shopping or buying as the most ‘important’ thing in life
• Thinking about shopping /buying all the time
• Planning shopping /buying in depth
• Shopping to manage emotions or mood
• Shopping as a distraction
• Regularly spending or shopping more than planned
• Experiencing conflicts around shopping habits
• Become upset when capacity to shop or buy is limited
• Shopping to the extent of financial difficulties
• Worries around shopping / buying habits leading to loss of sleep
• Worries around shopping /buying habits leading to intense emotions or guilty conscience

The key elements of shopping addiction are experiencing aspects of:

• Lack of control
• Spiralling or worsening behaviour
• Complex emotions around behaviour

Why am I addicted to shopping?

Causes of shopping addiction

Behavioural addictions can form for a multitude of reasons. These often integrate psychological, neurobiological and social influences. Addiction is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. This means that it is often experienced as a layered issue with several contributing factors.

Neurobiological explanations

When we buy something, we feel a rush. This, for some people, can be characterised by an almost euphoric sensation. This often feels like a dramatic boost in mood and excitement and a short reduction of stress or anxiety. This is often down to a release in a key neurotransmitter, dopamine.

If we repeatedly engage in the same behaviour in order to simulate the initial ‘rush’, the dopaminergic circuits in our brains can begin to change. This privileges engaging with our addictive stimuli, leaving other activities feeling less satisfying and desirable. Over time this can build to obsessive or even compulsive engagement with an addictive behaviour which deepens the association over time.

Psychological explanations

Excessive spending can also be a symptom of a period of mania. Mania is a symptom often associated with specific mental health conditions, such as:

• Bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Postpartum psychosis
• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective disorder

However, an individual does not have to have a diagnosis of one of these conditions in order to be experiencing a manic episode. In some cases, mania appears as an independent symptom.

Mania occurs when an individual ‘experiences a change in normal behaviour that drastically affects their functioning.

Social explanations

There can be social situations that lead us to rely on shopping. This can occur, for example, if we feel that we have a lack of agency in other areas of our lives. Exercising control through spending habits can offer an element of agency in times when we may feel that aspects of our life are either out of our control or controlled by others around us. This may be especially prevalent, for example, in individuals experiencing abusive relationships.

Peer pressure is another aspect of burgeoning spending issues. In a world of influencers and access to online hauls, it can be very easy to fall into the trap of overconsumption. Over time, this can lead to an obsessive relationship with buying that can lead to addiction territory.

Common Dual Diagnosis

Shopping addiction often goes hand in hand with periods of difficult mental health. Common comorbid mental health conditions include:

• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Chronic stress
• Personality disorders
• Social anxiety

In these instances, addictive shopping can either be a symptom of a condition or a method of coping with difficult elements of a disorder.

Is shopping addiction dangerous?

A shopping addiction may, at first, seem relatively harmless. However, there are palpable dangers associated with this type of behaviour. Whilst most of these are associated with finances, shopping addiction does have the potential to impact other areas of life.

For example, you may experience:

• Financial insecurity
• Increasing debt
• Missing important payments
• Very low credit score
• Loss of assets
• Homelessness
• Conflict with loved ones
• Neglecting of responsibilities
• Social withdrawal
• Depression
• High levels of guilt

Shopping addiction help: what does it look like?

At Banbury Lodge, we are specialists in addiction – whether a substance or behavioural addiction, we design rehab plans that really centre the needs of the individual. In the case of shopping addiction, this may include a blend of therapeutic and pharmaceutical support.

Therapy

Therapies often used to treat shopping addiction include:

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Group CBT
• Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)
• Mindfulness therapy

Medication

In order to address underlying mental health symptoms, the following medications may be considered by clinicians when needed:

• Antidepressants
• Sedatives (for anxiety)
• Antipsychotics
• Mood stabilisers

Seek support

Here at Banbury Lodge, we can help you to take the steps towards an addiction-free future.  Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation with a member of our team. We are here to lend a listening, non-judgmental ear and guide you through potential options for specialist, holistic addiction and mental health support. We are available to talk you through the bespoke rehab packages we offer to help you find the most appropriate treatment for your current needs.

Frequently Asked Questions