Necessity and Pleasure
Shopping is an activity that takes of our time a little every day. It can even be called a necessity. We buy food to keep us going and clothes to keep us warm. Even the people who have financial problems need do practical shopping from time to time.
Others think of shopping as a hobby or an important ritual. Statistics show that more and more people refer to shopping as a recreational activity. They use it to freshen up their wardrobe and to catch up with their friends. Also, some like do go shopping after a period of hard work to reward and motivate themselves.
Addiction
However, shopping also has a different and a darker side. Despite the fact that the majority of people are skeptical about that, shopping can become a true addiction. The so-called shopaholics spend fortune on different items like shoes, clothes, etc. As a result, they go heavily in debt.
Shopping addiction is a serious problem. It is even classified as a compulsive desire and it is referred to with the medical term “oniomania”, which can be translated as “a shopping craze”. Shopping addiction often destroys families and relationships. In addition, people suffering from this disorder lose their jobs and fall into financial debt.
- Additional reading: Why Dubai residents are addicted to shopping
Recent studies reveal that that this problem is becoming more and more common, especially in developed countries like the US, Japan and the UK. An estimated 10% of the world’s population is addicted to shopping. Surprisingly, it was found that men also suffer from this compulsive desire. Moreover, the number of male and female shopaholics is almost equal.
Causes
Many people think that excessive shopping is just a prim of the rich. However, scientists claim that this is not true. They also add that shopaholism, like every other disorder, can be triggered by specific reasons.
The first of them is that shopping can greatly increase the dopamine levels in our bodies. However, this does not happen with everyone. Just like gambling, not all of us can get a kick of the happy hormone when they shop. Usually, those who do, have some emotional issues. For example, they can feel anxious, lonely, depressed or angry. For them shopping has an illusive therapeutic effect, because of the temporary euphoria which they feel.
The other main cause for shopping addiction is modern society and culture. Every day we are bombarded with ads and discounts. In addition, banks are almost handling out credit cards which makespeople believe that they have some financial stability.
The Two Sides of the Coin
Originally, shopping is a necessity. We all buy what we need and from time to time we allow ourselves something extra. However, when the extra becomes more that the basic items and products, shopping turns into an addiction.
I agree that shopping addiction is a very serious problem for those who suffer from it, and more broadly for society. And I congratulate you on writing about it in a sensible and non-sensationalist manner.
Shopping addiction often occurs alongside other psychological difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, poor emotion regulation, lack of a clear identity, or lack of meaning in life. These problems do not occur in isolation, but are situated in a particular social and cultural setting. Thus, if Dubai is serious about reducing shopping addiction, individual factors need to be tackled, but also the general culture needs to be altered – to one less focussed on looks, and to one that regulates advertising, for example.
It, like all addictions, leads to many long-term consequences. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Once individuals recognise they have a problem, there are routes they can take which can lead to a reduction in their buying behaviour, and which can galvanise action to bring wider social change. I’ve spent the last 5 years researching whether mindfulness can have a role to play in helping shopping addicts to manage their addiction, and I am very encouraged by what I’ve found out. Mindfulness can help to reduce the incidence and severity of the underlying psychological factors, but can also help in those high-risk situations where we are tempted or habituated to buy. It can improve the totality of our lives.
Please consider interventions like this when discussing shopping addiction – it is important to provide sufferers with a route out of their misery.