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Compulsive shopping isn’t all fun, despite what you might see in the movies. According to the American Psychiatric Association, one in 20 Americans suffer from Oniomania or compulsive shopping. It can ruin relationships and do big damage to a person’s financial situation.

Gloria Arenson, a therapist and author of the book Born to Spend says often people don’t see compulsive shopping as a serious issue. In her book she writes, “The first stumbling block I encountered in my work was the widely held belief that compulsive shopping and debting isn’t a serious problem…Many people, including some health professionals, do not understand how these compulsions can be linked to other psychological problems.” Some of the characteristics of a compulsive shopper include:

• Anxious
• Depressed
• Compulsive urges to shop
• Inadequate coping mechanisms
• Stressed
• Lonely

The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed the president of the Australian Psychological Society, Professor Bob Montgomery about shopping addictions. ”It only becomes a problem when it begins to interfere with an individual’s life,” he says. “What one person thinks of obsessive isn’t necessarily true. I might think a person who sits up all night watching football is obsessive. They’re still getting enough sleep, can function at work and [are] still leading a balanced life. If a woman is spending more than she can afford, then that is a problem. It’s also a problem if it becomes a threat to other people. Only then the person who is obsessive may need help.”

Journalist Avis Cardella wrote about her compulsion to spend in her book, Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict. She told the Sydney Morning Herald, ”It is a serious problem that’s so often not spoken about. I felt it was important to write about the serious side of compulsive shopping.”

Experts say one way to combat your addiction is by keeping a diary. Write down what you spend and what you’re buying. When you notice spending increasing, think about the emotional triggers that may have prompted it. Were you in an argument with someone? Did something stressful happen at work? And if you feel like it’s a problem you can’t tackle on your own, get help. Join a support group or see a therapist.

The Cure For Compulsive Shopping is a post from: Thistle Debt Consolidation