COMPULSIVE SHOPPING

Anamika had anticipatory excitement as she stepped into the shopping mall. She had been feeling bored and lonely since the morning and couldn’t resist the urge to shop. She felt happy as she waded through some of the shops. The attention and ca re she received from the salespersons made her feel important. She bought a few clothes, a pair of studs, a watch, a handbag and some cosmetics.

The happiness lasted for the six hours that she spent at the mall. Once she returned home, she opened the cupboard to put the bags in. Inside, she saw many more unopened shopping bags staring back at her — purchases made over the past two weeks.
Preoccupation with shopping

Though not an illness, "Compulsive shopping" leads to considerable distress for the person and the family members due to financial consequences. The compulsive buyer has a frequent preoccupation with buying. He/she buys articles on an impulse, things that are not needed and are not affordable. The commonly bought items by women are clothes, accessories, jewellery, footwear and cosmetics. Men buy electronic gizmos and automobile spares. The shopping experience is pleasurable but subsequently the person feels guilty. Most of the purchased objects are not used. Some are returned or given away.

Compulsive shopping was observed about 100 years ago. Kraepelin and Bleuler (famous for describing Schizophrenia) described it and called it Oniomania. (‘Onio’ means buying). Interest in the phenomenon tapered subsequently.

Recent studies have suggested that a significant percentage of compulsive shoppers have underlying depression. The urge to shop is intensified by sadness or loneliness. The act of shopping is an attempt to feel better and it helps for a while; being pampered by the salespersons acts as a balm.

Compulsive shopping is also considered as a variant of Compulsions as in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The major difference is, in OCD, the urge to perform the compulsion is distressing and the person tries to control it. Compulsive shopping, on the other hand, is pleasurable. Some consider compulsive shopping an addiction. According to them, the person is vulnerable to addiction and shopping is just the context. And yes, there is a cynical view that ‘Compulsive shopping’ is another example of psychiatrists trying to medicalise any atypical human behaviour.

Compulsive shopping needs to be differentiated from the indiscriminate shopping seen in an illness called Mania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania. A person suffering from mania would be elated and the excessive happiness leads to excessive speech, activity and spending. They go on giant shopping sprees. While the motivation for shopping in mania is excessive happiness, it is sadness and boredom in compulsive shopping. Another uncommon reason for increased spending is ‘Revenge spending’ where the person splurges to deplete someone else’s reserves.
Treatment

By the time help is sought, most compulsive shoppers have huge debts on multiple credit cards and loans. Regret about the loans and anxiety about their repayment is seen. Frequent harassment by credit card "recovery teams" add to the distress. Marital discord is a consequence as the spouse tries to control the person’s buying behaviour and feels frustrated.

Treating the underlying depression, when present, has helped some to grow out of compulsive shopping. Cognitive behaviour therapy has also been used with varying results.