Are You Dealing With A Compulsive Buying Disorder (Shopaholism)?

There is nothing worse than an empty bank account, right? But maybe there is: how about a mountain of debt and this unquenchable desire to just hoard more and more?

This is how oniomania, or shopaholism, works. Oniomania is a psychiatric term used to label the compulsion to keep ing things. If you think that you’re spending way too much time at Sears, maybe it’s time to check if you’re a shopaholic.

Compulsive Buying Disorder, or CBD, as defined by psychiatrist Donald W. Black, is characterized by excessive ing behavior that “leads to distress or impairment.” In his review of the disorder, he noted that shopaholics go through a four-phase process that involves:

1. Anticipation
2. Preparation
3. Shopping
4. Spending

Indeed, it is an obsession and a compulsion, as compulsive shoppers spend hours studying their shopping “conquests.” Then, according to Dr. Black, despite how the objectives of the shopaholic have been met when they finally get to what they want, they end up crashing when they realize that they lost control once more. But then, to feel better, they go back to the start of the cycle by plotting another shopping spree.

This may sound like a sick cycle to those who can’t relate to it, but it is a habit, an addiction that renders one powerless. That is why for those who know that they can’t overcome this on their own, it would help to see a professional.

Aside from seeing a professional, it could also be a good idea to take these self-help steps:

1. Wean yourself from overusing credit cards. You may think that using plastic that offers top credit card deals is a way of saving money, but if you’re not paying your balance in full, you could just be asking for trouble.
2. Switch to more manageable plastic. If you’re finding yourself misusing credit cards, then these may not be the right tool for you to use. If you’d like to have the convenience of using a card but want to allow yourself limits on what you spend, you may want to consider using something like these prepaid Visa cards instead. That way, you can only spend what you load into your cards.
3. Find support from someone you trust. This is ideally a responsible person — a spouse, a parent, or a sibling who can oversee your financial progress. If you have to do this on your own, then you may want to think about cutting up your cards and then changing some of the ways you use money. Only accountability helps people recover and stay on track better.
4. Change some ways you use money. You should draw up a budget and stick to it. Next, include a personal daily allowance. If you have a daily allowance, it would be easier to keep track of how money is spent to ensure that you won’t be using money intended for other things. Then see if you would be able to use cash for all your purchases. If you need to make online transactions, it may be best if you do it with someone to watch over you, or use debit cards. Up the ante by surrendering the debit card to your accountability partner right after the transaction. Also, you could try this: whenever you go out to groceries, work in a coffee shop, or just unwind, bring only ENOUGH money to use on that trip. This ensures that you won’t use money you’ve set aside for other items because you only have enough for that specific activity.

If you note that you are just spending too much money, you should be alarmed. However, don’t think that you can make things better by ing more, and neither should you let yourself get depressed without doing anything about it. There are always solutions. Try our tips to get started on the way to solvency!

This post is brought to you by The Digerati Life, a personal finance blog managed by a technologist and mom of two from Silicon Valley, CA.