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Essay about Effects of Shopping Addiction

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Effects of Shopping Addiction Shopping is a necessary part of life. We shop for food, clothing, cars, homes, or anything that may be a necessity to survive. If shopping is necessary, how can it also be an addiction? The answer is the same as with other addictions. According to Wikipedia, addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse dependency consequences or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. Oniomania, which is a Greek word meaning "for sale" is the technical term for the compulsive desire to shop, more commonly referred to as shopping addiction. Shopping addiction may be considered an impulse control disorder, an obsessive compulsive disorder, a bipolar disorder, or even a …show more content…

Research has shown that compulsive shoppers and spenders also suffer from mood disorders, substance abuse or eating disorders. According to Elizabeth Hartney, "People with compulsive shopping addiction often have concurrent substance and or behavioral addiction problems, or "cross over" to other addictions at some point in their lives. Studies show that alcohol problems occur in 28% to 46% of compulsive buyers; other substance use disorders occur in 13% to 20% of compulsive shoppers; paraphilias and sex addictions occur in 10% to 13% of compulsive shoppers; and pathological gambling occurs in 5% to 20% of compulsive shoppers." Impairment in relationships may occur as a result of excessive spending and efforts to cover up debt or purchases. Persons who engage in compulsive shopping or spending may become pre-occupied with that behavior and spend less and less time with important people in their lives. It is also common for an addict to begin lying and hiding their purchases from their family and keeping their spending to themselves. Relationships often suffer as friends are not repaid, spouses and family members are not repaid, and necessary home bills can not be paid. Family members do without because of the shopping addict's out of control use of money, which in turn puts a strain on their relationship. The trust between the addict and members of the family is often lost and this causes the addict to

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