Compulsive Buying Disorder:
Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD), also known as oniomania, is a psychological condition characterized by an overwhelming, uncontrollable urge to shop and spend money, often leading to negative consequences in a person’s life. It’s more than occasional overspending — it’s repetitive, impulsive, and distressing.
Key Features:
Preoccupation with shopping — Constant thoughts about buying things, planning shopping trips, or looking for sales.
Impulse control issues — Difficulty resisting the urge to purchase, even when unnecessary or unaffordable.
Emotional triggers — Shopping often serves to relieve negative emotions like anxiety, sadness, boredom, or stress.
Negative consequences — Financial problems, debt, relationship conflicts, or feelings of guilt and shame.
Temporary relief — Buying may provide a short-term mood boost, but it’s usually followed by regret or remorse.
Psychological Aspects:
- Often linked with anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive traits.
- Can involve low self-esteem; shopping becomes a way to cope with emotional distress.
- May show similarities to addictive behaviors, because it activates reward pathways in the brain.
Signs & Symptoms:
- Frequent shopping sprees beyond means.
- Hiding purchases from family or friends.
- Feeling tension before buying and relief afterward.
- Accumulation of unnecessary items.
- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to control spending.
Treatment Approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — Helps identify triggers, challenge maladaptive thoughts, and develop healthier coping strategies.
Medication — CONSULT A PSYCHIATRIST
Financial Counseling — Learning budgeting, self-monitoring, and avoiding debt.
Support Groups — Groups like Shopaholics Anonymous provide peer support and accountability.
Compulsive buying is often hidden and underdiagnosed, because it doesn’t always involve illegal activity and can be socially acceptable in consumer-driven societies. Awareness and early intervention are crucial to prevent financial, relational, and emotional harm.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 