We can’t deny that
consumerism at christmas time increases considerably . In fact, on the market there is a huge variety of products on offer that are exposed to the public eye, being the object of desire of thousands and thousands of consumers who pass in front of carefully assembled shop windows overflowing with items.

However, while the average consumer has constant eye contact with these consumer products, he or she does not have the financial comfort to purchase them. This can lead to
anxiety and frustration, in addition to feeding the need to possess fashionable objects and products to differentiate themselves from other people.

Oniomania: shopping, one of the great modern pleasures

To allow oneself to be carried away by the action of buying excessively, beyond one’s own material possibilities, is unsustainable and for many families it can lead to serious generalised discomfort because of the consequences it brings with it.

This abnormal acquisition of items is called
compulsive buying and is defined as a persistent, irresistible, assaultive buying motivation that happens repeatedly, its action is experienced as a pleasurable and discomfort reducing sensation, but that in the long run can be a behavioural pattern that generates serious problems.

Currently, compulsive buying affects between 1.1% – 5.9% of the general population.

Women are more compulsive in their shopping

A recent study published in
Global Conference on Business and Finance Proceedings (2015) concludes that among the subjects evaluated, women show a more compulsive attitude when making unnecessary purchases , and describe feeling more pleasant and intense emotions in comparison to men. In another case, Kraepelin affirmed the same conclusion, between 80% and 92% of the cases studied occur in women around 30 years of age.

It is concluded that women tend to make compulsive purchases in relation to clothes, shoes and accessories and the few men who suffer from this addiction are more likely to spend the money on electronic devices and on items arising from new technologies in general.

The psychological profile of a compulsive shopper

We are in front of
psychological disorder, not a vice.

In the current DSM-IV (clinical diagnostic manual)
this behaviour is not described as a recognised disorder , so the sufferer is relegated to the category of “Unspecified Impulse Control Disorder”

A high degree of comorbidity is reported among people suffering from oniomania, so that often
compulsive shoppers meet criteria for other disorders , in particular those related to mood, anxiety, substance abuse and there are even studies that indicate a significant link with eating disorders.

Classic studies on this topic reveal a certain hereditary tendency; McElroy and collaborators found that out of 18 compulsive shoppers, 17 had a relative with mood disorders, 11 with substance abuse, 3 with anxiety disorders and 3 more with compulsive buying.

The origins (causes) of oniomania

There are two possible origins that lead to the development of compulsive behaviour. On the one hand, one of the causes refers to the relationship between performing repetitive behaviour that generates satisfaction. That is, a person begins to perform the behavior of buying repeatedly because
gives you a strong dose of satisfaction and pleasure , until it finally becomes a habit that ends in compulsion.

On the contrary, it may arise because the person does not feel capable of facing any aspect of his reality, or does not know how to deal with the personal problems that overwhelm him, so he seeks to solve his shortcomings through excessive purchases. In this case, the compulsive behavior is due to a kind of
emotional escape route .

The 4 phases of compulsive buying

We observe the phases that govern all compulsive buying:

1. Anticipation

Thoughts, impulses and concerns arise in relation to a particular product or shopping habit

2.Preparation

Decisions start to be made about where the product will be purchased, how payment will be made (normally bank cards are used), how the product will be delivered to the shop or the way in which the product will be purchased (online, physical shop…). In certain cases, extra information about the desired article is sought.

3.Purchase

They live it as a frankly exciting and pleasant experience. For people with oniomania at the time of purchase is a moment expected and that makes them feel good.

4. Spending and Disappointment

Once the purchase has been made and the money spent, a sense of disillusionment with oneself arises along with feelings of guilt, anger, resentment and the determination not to repeat the behavior.

Why do you buy compulsively?

If we wanted to cover all the possibilities of response offered by this question I am sure that we would not have enough space, so we are going to focus only on the most common causes and those that most influence this compulsive behaviour.

  • There is a real feeling of loneliness or personal emptiness . The person, on performing the behavior, is convinced that he or she will be able to fill that internal gap, however, what happens after the compulsive buying is that the emptiness gets bigger and bigger, entering a loop from which it is difficult to get out.
  • The feeling experienced when buying a new product . The positive emotions that take place during the purchase can encourage the behaviour to be repeated.
  • In times of sales, the fear of losing a good offer directly influences behaviour, encouraging the buyer to buy as soon as possible.
  • The disorder itself leads to these purchases. You lose control and only pursue the satisfaction of what you experience as a vital need.

And after the purchase… what?

The compulsive shopper experiences, once the action of buying has been carried out,
strong feelings of guilt and anxiety that can even be triggered in depressive moods in response to excessive behaviour and spending.

However, these effects cannot be attributed solely to irrational shopping, since most people who display this behaviour also display strong compulsive traits, which manifest themselves in the form of some behavioural, cognitive and/or physiological symptoms. In order to overcome these feelings of distress and depressed mood, the person may resort to further shopping, so the circle narrows further.

It is this dynamic of looping activities that makes compulsive shopping so difficult to get out of. Among other things, because recognizing that we are addicted to something strikes a blow to our beliefs and ideas that can be explained by the theory of
cognitive dissonance: the more we buy, the more we are forced to justify that habit by making more purchases. Thus, compulsive shoppers have increasingly little room for manoeuvre, and the situation is made worse by the fact that the lack of money is increasingly evident, making oniomania a problem in many areas of life.

Treatments for oniomania

There are
different ways of dealing with these cases . Sometimes, several types of treatment can be used simultaneously or in chains.

1. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Treatment with
Cognitive-behavioral therapy begins by expressing the need to make a change in the life of someone who suffers from the obsession with shopping. It is very important to discover how the person conceives of himself and how he tries to satisfy his needs , as well as to analyse what kind of ideas govern his personality in order to start modifying them.

Great results have been observed by means of group therapies, where the own experience is shared with subjects who present the same problem.

2. Pharmacological treatment

Currently, drug therapy (SSRIs) used to treat
obsessive-compulsive disorder has proven to be the most effective, since the premeditation associated with the act of buying could respond to that of an obsession and its physical behavior resembles that of a compulsive ritual . The only difference between a compulsive shopper and someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is that in the latter the behavior is totally involuntary from the beginning.

As mentioned above, both treatments can be performed at the same time offering better results.

5 final tips to prevent this obsession

These tips are applicable to any time of the year, but they can be very useful during the Christmas period and during the sales season when it is easier for us to feel a greater need to purchase products and items.

  • Avoiding last minute purchases
  • Going shopping on public transport
  • List what you will need
  • Avoid buying in moments of euphoria or discouragement
  • Preparing a weekly budget