Psychology of Shop-a-holic
Splurge, careless, brash and arrogant are some of the words that go hand-in-hand with a shopaholic. Psychologists have researched on such shopping maniacs and after many tests concluded that it is no longer the women who dominate the scene. Women are mostly associated with shopping, fashion, trends which is rubbing off on men making them become more conscious than they used to.
There is a stereotype of shopaholics where-in they come across circumstances of heavy credit card bill. They come in all shapes and sizes. While some of them out there shop just to boost their self-esteem others shop materialistically. The motivation may differ, however, researchers mostly agree that buying behaviour can range from frivolous fun to serious addiction. There are three levels of buying, needs, wants and desires. Each level differs from one another and is very subjective.
Compulsive buying can be thought of as a chronic tendency to purchase products far in excess of a person’s needs and resources. There are some folks who buy products rationally and are commercially called rational consumers. Such individuals buy what is on sale or what they need. On the other end, there are compulsive shoppers who buy to their own financial ruin and to relationship problems and other kinds of debt. The rest of them are somewhere there in between. Some of the researchers have linked shopping or compulsive buying to addictive behaviour to an extent that it dominates the being of an individual instead of the vice versa.
The magnitudes of compulsive shopping are far-reaching and could outlast the trendy pair of shoes or digital device just purchased. These include massive credit-card debt, spoilt relationships, work problems and depression and anxiety. Some of the excessive spenders cover up debt or purchases similar to an alcoholic hiding bottles. This gave name to the shoppers as shopaholic who, in the past, have been victims of dishonest relationships and spoilt behaviour.
Anxiety is high among shopaholics. They land themselves in a tub of debt ever wondering what is on its way. Shophaholics sometimes find themselves sacrificing their integrity and stopping down to low levels to feed their compulsion.
With compulsive buying being subjective it becomes hard for psychologists to actuate the parameters. Keeping certain things constant shopaholics are always bound to experience zone of debt or credit. As long as things don’t go overboard with repaying it is fine to shop. Sacrificing integrity is the biggest mistake a person can even think of making. Like alcohol is dangerous for a human’s system shopping is equally bad for a human’s mind and considering the ill-effects of shopping think before you splurge because money circulates like it has no time but never let your conscience wander. Reduce the addiction and nurture the emotions a little more.
