Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Problem of Purchase Addiction
• Method 2 of 3: Behavior changes
• Method 3 of 3: Helping Others

An overwhelming urge to shop, also called shopaholism, can negatively affect your personal life, career, and finances. Because shopping is an integral part of the world's capitalist culture, it is sometimes difficult to know if we are misusing it. In this article, we will talk about the signs of shopaholism, how to change your habits and how to get help from a specialist if you need it.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Problem of Purchase Addiction

1. 1 Admit the problem. As with all addictions, understanding your behavior and how it affects your life and relationships is key to successfully fighting the habit. Below is a list of the symptoms of addiction - use it to assess the extent of the problem. It is extremely important to assess the degree of your addiction, as this will help you understand how much you should cut back on spending and whether it is better to give up any purchases at all.
   • Buying things when you are sad, lonely, anxious, or when you are angry
   • Quarrels over your shopping addiction
   • Feeling Lost and Lonely Without Credit Cards
   • Constant purchases on credit
   • Shopping euphoria
   • Shame or embarrassment about overspending
   • The habit of lying about how much you spend or how much something was worth
   • Obsessive thoughts about money
   • Significant time spent trying to streamline spending so that you have more money to spend on purchases
2. 2 Analyze your shopping propensity. Write down everything you buy for 2-4 weeks, as well as the value of the items. Ask yourself why you are doing this to better understand when and how you go shopping. It's also important to keep track of how much money you spend during that time so you can gauge how far this has gone.
3. 3 Determine what type of shopaholic you are. Compulsive shopping takes many forms. Knowing how it happens will make it easier for you to understand your addiction, and you will sooner find a way to deal with it. Perhaps you recognize yourself in the descriptions below. If not, try analyzing the situation using the shopping list discussed above.
   • People shopping under stress
   • People who are constantly on the hunt for perfect things
   • People who like bright things and who like to feel rich
   • People who buy things because they have discounts
   • People who constantly buy things, return them and buy something else, which becomes an endless loop
   • People who only calm down when they buy a complete set of the same thing in different variations (color, model, etc.)
4. 4 Find out what the consequences of a shopping addiction are. You may feel very good right after the purchase, but this effect is short-term and the consequences can be very serious. If you are aware of these consequences, it will be easier for you to work with your addiction.
   • Exceeding your budget and financial problems
   • Compulsive purchases that exceed needs (for example, a person comes to the store for one sweater and leaves with a dozen)
   • Stealthiness and the tendency to silence the problem to avoid criticism
   • Feelings of helplessness due to repetitive buying cycles and the ensuing sense of shame that drives you to shop again
   • Relationship problems due to secrecy, lying about debt, and physical isolation while exacerbating shopping concerns
5. 5 Be aware that there are psychological reasons for excessive shopping. For many, this is a way to deal with or escape negative emotions. As with other addictions, shopping temporarily solves problems, makes you feel better, and creates a false image of a happy and confident person.Consider whether shopping fills the holes in your life that could be filled with something more useful and right.

Method 2 of 3: Behavior changes

1. 1 Understand what is provoking you. A provocative factor is what makes you want to buy something. Keep a journal for at least a week, and as soon as you feel the urge to go shopping, write down what led you to that idea. The reason can be a certain environment, person, advertisement and feelings (anger, shame, boredom). It is very important to know what triggers this behavior, as you will be able to avoid the things that cause it.
   • For example, you often go shopping on the eve of an important event. Perhaps you want to buy clothes, expensive cosmetics, and other items that will increase your self-confidence and help you prepare mentally for the event.
   • Knowing this, you can come up with a plan of action. For example, you decide to give up shopping or you will choose clothes from what you already have for an hour.
2. 2 Reduce shopping costs. The best way to limit purchases without giving up entirely is to keep track of your budget and not allow yourself to buy beyond your needs. Keep track of your money and only shop if your monthly or weekly budget allows it. This way you can buy things from time to time, but at the same time you will be protected from financial problems that can be caused by excessive shopping enthusiasm.
   • Try to take only as much money as you need for the planned purchases. Leave credit cards at home to avoid the temptation to buy something on credit.
   • Try making a list of what you already own and a list of things you really want to buy. This will allow you to control yourself and see that you want to buy something that you already have, or something that you do not really need.
   • Wait 20 minutes before making a purchase. Don't buy the item right away - better think about why you should or shouldn't do it.
   • If you always spend a lot of money in the same stores, only go there if you really need it, or take friends with you to help you control your expenses. If you're shopping online, remove popular sites from your bookmarks.
3. 3 Give up unnecessary purchases completely. If you have a serious shopping addiction, limit yourself to only the essentials. Be careful when choosing stores and take your shopping list with you. Don't buy things on sale and cheap things you don't need, and set aside a certain amount of money for one trip to the store. The more clear rules there are, the better. For example, if you need to buy groceries and hygiene items, make a complete list of everything you need, and don't buy anything outside of that list.
   • Stop paying with credit cards and get rid of them. If you feel like you should have one credit card for hopeless situations, ask your loved one to hide it from you. This is extremely important as people tend to spend twice as much when they have a credit card.
   • Examine the characteristics of the things you need to buy. It's not uncommon for a person to buy what they don't need when they are just looking at items in the store, so you should research the brands and characteristics of the items you want to buy. This will make the buying process less fun, but you won't have to research things in the store.
   • Discard all loyalty cards in stores that sell items not on your essentials list.
4. 4 Don't go shopping alone. People who are prone to buying compulsively tend to shop alone, so if you go with someone you will spend less. This is the benefit of peer influence - you learn to buy right from people you respect.
   • Perhaps you should ask someone to take full control of your spending.
5. 5 Find other activities for yourself. Try to be more productive. When working out compulsive behavior, it is important to replace shopping with something that will also take your time and bring you pleasure (but in a way that does not harm you).
   • People are often so addicted to something that they stop noticing the time. Find a new hobby, return to an activity you abandoned, or find a way to develop your abilities in any other way. You can read, run, cook, or play an instrument. Whatever you do, you must completely immerse yourself in this activity.
   • Sports and long walks can help you become happier, and they are better at distracting people from shopping than other activities.
6. 6 Track your progress. Remember to praise and encourage yourself on the path to breaking the habit. Celebrate your successes as it is not easy to overcome addiction. An objective assessment of what you have already accomplished will help you stop berating yourself in moments of self-doubt that you will certainly face.
   • Try to keep track of your expenses using a special program. Count the number of trips to the shops (especially to your favorite ones) and mark them in the calendar.
7. 7 Make a list of places you shouldn't be. Write down any areas that could trigger a relapse. Most likely, these will be large shopping centers, certain shops or large shopping malls. Your personal rules should be clear and understandable so that you cannot convince yourself that you can look somewhere even for a short while. Make a complete list of these places and do not go there until the shopping cravings have subsided. Go through the trigger list to make sure you have listed all the “dangerous” places and situations.
   • You may not be able to always avoid these places, and it can be objectively very difficult to do due to the abundance of advertising and the availability of goods.
     • If you just need to cut costs and not give up shopping altogether, try to just be less frequent in these places. Make a shopping schedule and stick to it.
8. 8 Avoid travel. At least early in the process of changing your shopping habits, you should stop traveling. This will help you avoid the temptation to buy items that are available in new places. People buy more than usual when they find themselves outside of their usual environment.
   • Remember that shopping online creates a sense of newness, so these temptations will also need to be resisted.
9. 9 Organize your mail. Unsubscribe from promotional emails and catalogs. This applies to both regular mail and e-mail.
   • Refuse to mailing banks, which offer you new credit cards. Call each bank if needed.
10. 10 Take care of your computers. Since a huge number of purchases are made on the Internet, remember that it is important to monitor not only your behavior in regular stores, but also on the Internet. Block all popular websites from which you frequently purchase something.
    • Download an ad blocker app - it will hide all ads you see in your browser.
    • It is especially dangerous to visit sites where a purchase can be made using the saved card data. In order not to accidentally buy too much, unlink your payment cards from all sites where you bought something, even if you blocked these sites.
      • This will allow you to play it safe. If you find a reason to visit the site, you will have ample time to consider buying.

Method 3 of 3: Helping Others

1. 1 Ask friends and family for help. Secrecy is one of the main ingredients in shopaholism (and other addictions). Don't be afraid to talk openly about your problems.Tell friends and family about what's going on and ask them to help you shop or buy the essentials for you, at least at the very beginning when the addiction is very strong.
   • Trust only the closest people who can support you and help you cope with addiction.
2. 2 Make an appointment with a psychotherapist. A therapist can help you understand what is at the root of your addiction (for example, depression). Although there are no specific drugs to treat shopaholism, you may be prescribed antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
   • Cognitive behavioral therapy is often used in addiction treatment. This therapy will allow you to see and rethink your shopping thoughts.
   • Therapy will also help you pay less attention to external motives (for example, the desire to appear successful and happy) and more - genuine (that is, for example, the desire to feel comfortable, maintain relationships with relatives and loved ones).
3. 3 Join the Society of Shopaholics Anonymous. There are special groups for dealing with shopping addiction. Being able to share your feelings and give others advice that has helped you can support you in times when you’re about to take off.
   • Look for such programs in your city.
   • There are special sites where you can find a therapist or group.
4. 4 Make an appointment with a financial advisor. If your shopping addiction has led to serious financial problems that you cannot deal with on your own, try talking to a financial advisor. He will help you deal with the debt that you have accumulated as a result of your addiction.
   • Having to deal with financial problems caused by an addiction can make you as nervous as the emotional difficulties that come with trying to deal with the addiction. Since stress often exacerbates problems, the help of a financial advisor will be very helpful.