Are You A Shopaholic? What You Need To Know

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Do you bury shopping-spree purchases in the backyard; pretend they came from Goodwill or hide them amidst groceries so your partner won't see them? Then you may be a shopaholic. While this blog may focus on many things related to shopping, I also encourage readers to practice intelligent consumerism: Even coupon use can be abused.

While it's true there's nothing wrong with shopping, a shopping addiction can lead to financial and emotional impacts similar to alcoholism. According to a study conducted earlier this year by American Express, more than a quarter of respondents had misrepresented the amount of a purchase to their partner and 30 percent reported they had hidden purchases.

Even consumers who believe they shop wisely, using coupons and hitting only the big sales, can easily get in over their heads. Just as with alcoholism and other addictions, closet shopping can be caused by a variety of factors. According to Shopaholics Anonymous, this can include:

• Emotional deprivation in childhood;
• an inability to tolerate negative feelings;
• the need to fill an inner void;
• a desire for excitement;
• approval seeking;
• perfectionism;
• a genuinely impulsive and compulsive nature; and
• the need to control.

If you're a closet shopper, you can take comfort in knowing you're not alone. A 2006 Stanford University study found 17 million Americans, or 6 percent of the U.S. population, suffer from this legitimate disorder. Surprisingly, men and women suffer about equally. So how can you tell if you're a compulsive shopper? Shopaholics Anonymous offers the following checklist.

• Do you "take off for the stores" when you’ve experienced a setback or a disappointment, or when you feel angry or scared?
• Are your spending habits emotionally disturbing to you and have they created chaos in your life?
• Do your shopping habits create conflicts between you and someone close to you?
• Do you buy items with your credit cards that you wouldn’t buy if you had to pay cash?
• When you shop, do you feel a rush of euphoria mixed with feelings of anxiety?
• Do you feel you’re performing a dangerous, reckless or forbidden act when you shop?
• When you return home after shopping, do you feel guilty, ashamed, embarrassed or confused?
• Are many of your purchases seldom or never worn or used?
• Do you lie to your family or friends about what you buy and how much you spend?
• Would you feel "lost" without credit cards?
• Do you worry about money excessively -- how much you have, how much you owe, how much you wish you had – and then go out and shop again?
• Do you spend a lot of time juggling accounts and bills to accommodate your shopping debts?

Just as there are many causes and signs, Shopahlcs says the compulsion takes many forms.

• Compulsive Shoppers seek to distract feelings: "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping."
• Trophy Shoppers want to find the perfect accessory for outfits, the newest iPhone, etc.
• Image Shoppers pick up tabs, expensive cars and highly visible items.
• Bargain Shoppers buy things they don’t need just because it's a good deal. They're more interested in the hunt than owning the product.
• Codependent Shoppers seek to gain love and approval from purchases.
• Bulimic Shoppers buy and return, buy and return; much as actual bulimics eat and purge food.
• Collector Shoppers have to own multiple sets of objects or different colors of the same item, be it clothing or electronics.

Experts agree the hardest part of any addiction is admitting you have a problem. Once you've gone through that process, however, it must be followed up with action. Shopaholic expert Terrence Shulman of The Shulman Center, recommends taking the following steps.

• Avoid people or places that tempt you to shop and spend.
• Cut up plastic and close charge accounts.
• Rip up credit card offers and home-equity applications.
• Make lists before going to the store. Buy only what you need.
• Establish a support network or sponsor and call one of them when you feel the need to shop coming on.
• Take a trusted friend when you go shopping.
• Establish a period of time between the time you feel the impulse to buy and the time you can actually make the purchase.
• Ask yourself: Do I need this or do I just want it?
• Find better ways to spend your spare time.
• Develop better ways to manage difficult emotions.
• Seek out specialized counseling, medication and support groups.
• Educate yourself by learning more about compulsive shopping.
• Be aware of events that trigger your urges to shop.
• Cancel magazine subscriptions or e-mail subscriptions that lead you to shop.
• Block Internet shopping sites and TV shopping channels.