Oniomania, compulsive shopper disorder

We cannot deny that consumerism at Christmas time increases considerably. In fact, in the market there is a huge variety of products offered that are exposed to the public view, being the object desire of thousands and thousands of consumers who pass in front of carefully assembled shop windows brimming with articles.

However, while the average consumer has constant eye contact with these consumer products, they do not have the financial comforts to purchase them. This can generate anxiety and frustration, in addition to nurturing the need to own fashion objects and products to differentiate themselves from other people.

Oniomania: shopping, one of the great modern pleasures

Letting yourself be carried away by the action of buying excessively, beyond your own material possibilities, is unsustainable and for many families it can lead to a serious general malaise due to the consequences it brings with him.

This abnormal acquisition of items is called compulsive buying Y It is defined as a persistent, irresistible, assaultive purchase motivation that happens repeatedly, its action is experienced as a pleasant sensation

and reducing discomfort, but in the long run it can be a behavioral pattern that generates serious problems.

Currently, compulsive shopping affects between 1.1% - 5.9% of the general population.

Women are more compulsive in their purchases

A recent study published in Global Conference on Business and Finance Proceedings (2015) concludes that among the evaluated subjects, women show a more compulsive attitude when making unnecessary purchases, and describe feeling more pleasant and intense emotions compared 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 Those who suffer from this addiction are more likely to spend money on electronic devices and articles arising from new technologies in general.

The psychological profile of a compulsive shopper

We are in front of Psychological trastorn, not a vice.

In the current DSM-IV (clinical diagnostic manual) this behavior is not described as a recognized disorderTherefore, the sufferer is relegated to the category of "Unspecified impulse control disorder"

Among people suffering from oniomania, a high degree of comorbidity is reported, which is why they often compulsive shoppers meet criteria for other disorders, specifically those related to mood, anxiety, substance abuse and there are even studies that indicate a notable link with eating disorders.

Classic studies on this subject reveal a certain hereditary tendency; McElroy and colleagues found that of 18 compulsive shoppers, 17 had a family member with mood, 11 with substance abuse, 3 with anxiety disorders and 3 more with shopping compulsive.

The origins (causes) of oniomania

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

On the contrary, it is possible that it arises because the person does not feel capable of facing some aspect of their reality, or not knows how to deal with personal problems that overwhelm him, so he seeks to solve his deficiencies through purchases inordinate. In this case, the compulsive behavior would be due to a kind of emotional escape route.

The 4 phases of compulsive buying

We observe the phases that govern all compulsive purchases:

1. Anticipation

Thoughts, impulses and concerns arise in relation to a specific product or about the habit of buying

2. Preparation

Decisions begin to be made about where the product will be bought, how the payment will be made (normally they are used bank cards), how the store will be reached or the way by which the product will be purchased physical…). In certain cases, extra information about the desired item is inquired.

3. Buys

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

4. Expense and disappointment

Once the purchase is made and the money has been spent, a feeling of disappointment with oneself arises along with feelings of guilt, anger, resentment and the firm intention not to repeat the behavior.

Why do you buy compulsively?

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

• There is a real feeling of loneliness or personal emptiness. The person when carrying out the behavior is convinced that she can fill that inner holeHowever, what happens after compulsive buying is that the void grows larger and larger, entering a loop from which it is difficult to get out.
• The feeling experienced when purchasing a new product. The positive emotions that occur during the purchase can incentivize the behavior to repeat itself.
• In sales times, the fear of missing a good deal it directly influences behavior, encouraging the buyer to buy as soon as possible.
• The disorder itself leads to these purchases. You lose control and only seek to satisfy what is experienced as a vital need.

And after the purchase... than?

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

However, these effects cannot be attributed solely to the act of making irrational purchases, since the majority of people who show This behavior also present strong compulsive traits, which are manifested in the form of some behavioral, cognitive and / or physiological. In order to overcome these feelings of anguish and depressed mood, the person can resort to making new purchases, which is why the circle becomes increasingly narrower.

It is this dynamic of looping activities that makes compulsive buying something that is very difficult to disengage from. Among other things, because recognizing that one is addicted to something is 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. In this way, compulsive shoppers have an increasingly narrow margin of maneuver, and the situation worsens because the lack of money is increasingly evident, which makes oniomania a problem in many areas of the lifetime.

Treatments for oniomania

exist different ways of approaching these cases. Sometimes, several types of treatment can be used simultaneously or in a chain.

1. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy It begins by expressing the need to make a change in the life of someone who suffers from a shopping obsession.

It is very important discover how the person conceives himself and how he tries to satisfy his needs, as well as analyze what kinds of ideas govern its personality to start modifying them. In psychological treatment from the cognitive-behavioral model, people with oniomania are also trained to manage their anxiety states, both at the time to recognize this emotion as in relation to modulating its influence on the body, preventing it from being expressed through harmful behaviors such as shopping compulsive.

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

2. Pharmacotherapy

Currently, drug therapy (SSRI) 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 their physical behavior resembles that of a compulsive ritual. The only difference between a compulsive shopper and someone with a disorder Obsessive-compulsive (OCD) is found in that in the latter the behavior is totally involuntary from the beginning.

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

5 final tips to be aware of this obsession

These tips are applicable at any time of the year, but they can come in handy at Christmas time. and in times of sales when it is easier for us to feel a greater need to purchase products and articles.

• Avoid last minute purchases
• Go shopping on public transport
• Write down in a list what you will need
• Avoid buying in moments of euphoria or discouragement
• Create a weekly budget

Bibliographic references:

• Dell'Osso, B.; Altamura, A.C.; Allen, A.; Marazziti, D.; Hollander, E. (2006). Epidemiologic and clinical updates on impulse control disorders: a critical review. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 256 (8): pp. 464 - 475.
• Hartston, H, J.; Koran, L., M. (2002). Impulsive behavior in a consumer culture ". International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 6 (2): pp. 65 - 68.
• Kellett S.; Bolton J.V. (2009). Compulsive buying: A cognitive-behavioral model ". Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16 (2): pp. 83 - 99.