Shopaholism.

Shopping, whether you perceive is as chore or pleasure activity, is an act that we carry out throughout the course of our lifes. We purchase items from convenience stores, drug stores, fast food restaurants, and load our cars down to the ground with groceries from grocery store, almost on a weekly basis. We shop for apparel, electronics, and items for our homes, but when does shopping jump across a thin line and become compulsive shopping? "Too much of one thing can be dangerous"- this phrase also applies to shoppers when they "jump to the gun" and become "mall demons". They are what psychologists call, shopaholics. To be honest, I never thought that shopping could be such a serious addiction.

Society perceives shopping to be generally a femine activity- it is more prevalent among women than men. Many people have a compulsive shopping disorder. However, some person's compulsive shopping disorder affects their daily lives. People who shop until they cannot shop anymore, and run in their credit cards up to the max often have a shopping addiction. This people believe that the more they shop the better they will feel. In reality, compulsive shopping often makes the person feel worse. It is similar to other subject of behaviors and has some of the same characteristics as drinking problems, grambling and overeating addictions.

Shopaholics, when they are feeling "out of sorts", shop for a "pick me up". They go out and buy, to get a high, or to get a "rush" just like a drug or alcohol. Shopping addiction tends to effect more women than men. They often buy things they do not need. Usually women with this compulsive disorder have a great deal of money. They spent money like a water adn don't care about their children's future. They have often a rack of clothes and possessions with the price tags still attached with have never been used. This women don't realise that it is money down the drain. They will go to a shopping mall with the intention of buying one or two items and come home with bags and bags of purchases. If their family or friends begin to complain about purchases, they will often hide the things they buy. They are often in denial the problem. When the situation is getting worse- the shopaholic is in the red and has already made an overdraft in a bank, he or she attempt to hide his/her problem by taking on an extra job for bills and to pay debts. But often hard to keep his/her head above water...

How to cure this addiction? It is recommended that shopaholics should seek professional counseling or a self help group to deal with this problem. Addictive behaviours tend to congregate, so if you have an eating disorder, a problem with drugs or alcohol, or gambling, you may be a candidate for shopping addiction.