Most wouldn’t consider a shopping addiction an addiction at all, let alone anything serious. Retail therapy doesn’t strike many as a concern. However, there is indeed a difference between occasional leisure shopping and a shopping addiction. If shopping habits become extreme, it may qualify as a clinical behavioral disorder.
Such behaviors become problematic when an individual compulsively buys new things regardless of whether or not they can afford them. Even if an individual is facing financial difficulties, the negative effects of their behaviors do not stop them continuing them.
The emotions experienced during compulsive shopping such as the urge to buy, the loss of control, and short-term positive feelings are similar to a drug addiction. Someone with a shopping addiction experiences the same type of rush or high as someone who abuses drugs. The brain associates shopping with pleasure and attempts to recreate it over and over again.
Currently, mental health providers do not recognize compulsive buying as a diagnosable disorder due to a lack of diagnostic criteria. However, many do consider it a behavioral issue. Some professionals have noted that shopping addiction may be a sign of other mental or behavioral disorders such as anxiety, mood, and eating disorders.
It’s important to note which factors may contribute to a shopping addiction. Making purchases can be gratifying as this releases endorphins, distracting us from uncomfortable emotions. Stress and anxiety are significant variables here, where individuals may shop to help them cope with these feelings as well as to feel a sense of control. If someone is feeling stressed after a long week of work, they may purchase a piece of clothing online to make themselves feel better, to have something to look forward to.
https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/behavioral-addiction/what-is-retail-therapy-shopping-addiction
https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/what-is-shopping-addiction/
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