When you go shopping, you may feel good about buying a piece of clothing or accessory that you like or need. However, if you buy most of it when you are going through a stressful time and it is something you are not going to use, then that is a problem.
What is a compulsive shopper?
A compulsive shopper This is a person who makes purchases continuously to try to cover up an emotional discomfort that he or she is feeling. That is, if a person is sad, has low spirits or feels anxious about a situation that he or she is experiencing, one of the possible reactions that he or she may have is to buy in order to feel better, covering up that anxiety with a purchase.
One sign that someone is a compulsive shopper is that they do not buy out of necessity but to spend and feel, in some way, fulfilled. The impulse to buy is driven by the emotional discomfort they feel, and buying is a way to relieve the person's negative feelings.
People with compulsive buying tend to be people with low self-esteem, who do not know how to cope with or manage their emotions or who have suffered some problem in the past that they have not overcome and therefore relieve their emotional pain by buying.
How do I know if I'm a compulsive shopper?
You may like to shop or shop a lot and not be a compulsive shopper, however, there are some clues that will help you identify if you really are.
- Uncontrollable need to buy.
- Need to buy things that you don't need, that is, it's just an impulsive feeling towards something at certain times.
- When you are not emotionally stable, you spend more time shopping or looking for things to buy. You associate shopping with your sadness, anxiety, etc.
- You spend a lot on shopping, more than you should and can afford.
- You feel better every time you buy something, even if you don't need it.
- After buying it, you realize that you don't really need it, or you may even come to understand why you bought it, meaning you feel better.
These are some clues that can help you know if you really are a compulsive buyer or not, however, if you don't know, you can stop and observe or analyze your behavior from now on.
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How can I stop compulsive shopping?
If you are a compulsive buyer and you don't know what you can do to avoid these behaviors, we give you some tips that you can follow:
- Identify your mood when you go shopping. If you feel sad or have just experienced a situation that is out of your control, making you nervous or even anxious and giving you that uncontrollable need to buy, identify it. Associating your need to buy with your mood can be a first step to avoid making the purchase.
- When you are shopping, think about your purchase. Do you really need what you are buying or are you just buying it on impulse? Being aware of the situation can help you decide not to waste your money on things you don't need. It can also help you identify your emotions.
- Set a money limit for yourself. Set a spending limit for when you go shopping or for each month. That is, this month I can only spend this amount, so you can pace out your purchases and think about what you really do out of necessity or impulsiveness.
- Lean on your loved ones. Tell them what you are going through and ask for help when you need it. Your friends and family will be there for you whenever you need it, so you can turn to them every time you go shopping to help you control that unnecessary urge to buy or to let off steam so you can feel better and avoid making purchases.
- Ask for help. It is not enough just with your loved ones, if you really want to stop compulsive shopping and you do not know how, it is best to go to a professional. psychologist can help you in a way that you learn to identify your emotions, your state and identify that need to buy. With its help you will be able to learn to manage those feelings avoiding them from translating into unnecessary purchases. In addition, in therapy You will be able to work on and reinforce all the factors that may lead you to make that expense, such as working on your self-esteem, confidence or resolving those conflicts from the past that you may be dragging around and that are taking their toll on you.
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