Why Is Shopping So Addictive?

Addiction isn’t limited to drugs only. There are certain other kinds of addictions as well that exist. Shopping addiction is among them. The causes of shopping addiction are mostly cognitive and psychological. People who have a shopping addiction may be struggling with negative inner feelings such as depression, anxiety, anger, a lack of self-worth or boredom etc. They may be shopping compulsively to escape these negative feelings.

Coupon codes and discounts are a shopping addict’s best friend, but addicts do not always care about them. They will shop with or without discounts. Online shopping has even made it easier for shopping addicts because they can shop from the privacy of their homes. Following are some signs you might be a shopping addict. Save 20% On Orders w/ ManoMano Discount Code.

Low Self-Esteem

You may be struggling with negative emotions like anxiety and low self-esteem. Shopping is a temporary high that lets you escape those negative emotions temporarily. You feel better about yourself when and shortly after you shop. However, it does not last very long and you feel the need to shop more soon after. This is like an ongoing trap which makes you feel bad about yourself eventually and in the long run.

Preoccupation with Shopping

Planning your expenses is a good thing but to an extent. If you find yourself thinking about shopping most of the time, you might have a problem. Your preoccupation with shopping shows certain signs that prove you have an addiction. If you find that you are planning purchases during various significant parts of your day, that’s one sign. Other signs are if you find yourself distracted from conversations by thoughts of shopping or you are thinking of shopping when you should be doing something else.

Shopping Secretly

Shopping secretly is no problem these days with online shopping available to everybody. People can shop in the comfort and privacy of their homes therefore it’s not very difficult to conceal their purchases. Online coupons and voucher codes also play a role in people readily shopping online. You might incline towards online shopping because you feel guilty about your behaviour and want to conceal your purchases from other people.

Unable To Stop Yourself

Shopping addicts find themselves unable to stop shopping more and more. They may try and resolve to stop. And they may even stop for a while. But they eventually go back to it. Anxiety and stress can also cause this relapse. Sometimes we are also in denial. Because shopping is inevitable for everyone, it’s easy to dismiss shopping addiction as something ordinary or normal. Hence, a relapse in shopping addiction may not be immediately noticeable.

Compromising Your Well-Being

The awful thing about addiction is that people do it even at the expense of their physical and mental well-being. They leave behind their values and ethics sometimes because of their addiction. Some examples of such behaviour include:

• Spending more than one can afford.
• Collecting on more debt than one can sustain.
• Borrowing money from people you may not be able to return.
• Not paying your bills but shopping instead.
• Compromising your values like spending the money on shopping that you intended to give away to charity.