The question you should probably be asking is what the definition of addiction I’m using is. And I guess the simple version of that definition is “indulging to the extent that it brings notable physical, mental, and/or social repurcussions”.
A person who cannot resist an impulse to purchase something that is to the detriment of their physical and/or mental health and to their financial stability.
I think things become an addiction when it has negative impacts in your life. Not paying more important bills, impacting your ability to socialize, hoarding situations, etc.
That said, I think plenty of people shop to an extent that isn’t morally okay to me (or just sort of unreasonable) even if they aren’t “addicted”. I think sometimes the two are conflated.
Person with compulsive shopping issues. Acting out kind of shopping habits where negatives clearly out weight positives, i.e bad financial choices, getting overwhelmed by bought clutter or inability to enjoy what they already have because they only think of the “next thing”.
Someone who lives beyond their means to attain material goods and has no way of organizing these goods with the space they have. It ends up draining their bank and making their home a hoarders home. Also it could be defined as someone who uses shopping to cope with difficult emotions.
Someone who can buy anything from any place they go to. Even if they are going to a place that they usually don’t shop at, they’ll still find at least one thing to buy
If you’re using Klarna or Afterpay, that’s a big indicator. Also if you’re not paying your full credit card balance every month and you’re still purchasing nonessential, trendy, or luxury items.
My aunt, her husband was killed in a work accident in the late 90s and she got almost 1.2 mil in settlement and she’s burned through it and still is constantly buying stuff, no idea what her actual money situation is now
I mean, I use “shopaholic” as the benign mild version of a shopping addiction.
I might call my mom a shopaholic, because shopping helps her manage negative emotions. When she’s had a bad day, she goes and spends $40 at T.J.Maxx. We will promise to keep our gifts to a $50 secret santa this Christmas, but then she’ll also go out and get everybody a cute little giftbag full of prizes because that brings her joy. Buying stuff is a major source of her happiness, but she always spends within her means, has a clean and tidy home that she keeps organized through regularly donating objects she no longer uses, and never jeopardizes her relationships for the sake of shopping.
But if a person has a hoarded home they keep buying items for, they’re spending themselves into debt on things they don’t need, they have a compulsive need to shop that is bringing tumult into their relationships, I’d say that person has a shopping addiction.
Someone who goes shopping a lot and not for specific “I need x from the store, so I’ll grab it and be back” stuff but extended sprees where they go in all their favorite stores etc. Whether online or in person: Consistently buying stuff they do not need, like getting three Amazon packages a week. Using shopping as a coping mechanism e.g. had a bad day, better cheer myself up with a new pair of shoes.
And prioritizing shopping over important things like time with family or friends, financial stability, etc.
Comments
Somebody who is addicted to shopping.
The question you should probably be asking is what the definition of addiction I’m using is. And I guess the simple version of that definition is “indulging to the extent that it brings notable physical, mental, and/or social repurcussions”.
A person who cannot resist an impulse to purchase something that is to the detriment of their physical and/or mental health and to their financial stability.
I think things become an addiction when it has negative impacts in your life. Not paying more important bills, impacting your ability to socialize, hoarding situations, etc.
That said, I think plenty of people shop to an extent that isn’t morally okay to me (or just sort of unreasonable) even if they aren’t “addicted”. I think sometimes the two are conflated.
Person with compulsive shopping issues. Acting out kind of shopping habits where negatives clearly out weight positives, i.e bad financial choices, getting overwhelmed by bought clutter or inability to enjoy what they already have because they only think of the “next thing”.
Someone who lives beyond their means to attain material goods and has no way of organizing these goods with the space they have. It ends up draining their bank and making their home a hoarders home. Also it could be defined as someone who uses shopping to cope with difficult emotions.
Someone who can buy anything from any place they go to. Even if they are going to a place that they usually don’t shop at, they’ll still find at least one thing to buy
Someone who gets in debt because they love shopping for materialistic things, but they actually can’t afford it.
If you’re using Klarna or Afterpay, that’s a big indicator. Also if you’re not paying your full credit card balance every month and you’re still purchasing nonessential, trendy, or luxury items.
My aunt, her husband was killed in a work accident in the late 90s and she got almost 1.2 mil in settlement and she’s burned through it and still is constantly buying stuff, no idea what her actual money situation is now
Every time they get a pay cheak it goes into shopping
I mean, I use “shopaholic” as the benign mild version of a shopping addiction.
I might call my mom a shopaholic, because shopping helps her manage negative emotions. When she’s had a bad day, she goes and spends $40 at T.J.Maxx. We will promise to keep our gifts to a $50 secret santa this Christmas, but then she’ll also go out and get everybody a cute little giftbag full of prizes because that brings her joy. Buying stuff is a major source of her happiness, but she always spends within her means, has a clean and tidy home that she keeps organized through regularly donating objects she no longer uses, and never jeopardizes her relationships for the sake of shopping.
But if a person has a hoarded home they keep buying items for, they’re spending themselves into debt on things they don’t need, they have a compulsive need to shop that is bringing tumult into their relationships, I’d say that person has a shopping addiction.
Someone who does not know when it is enough.
Someone who goes shopping a lot and not for specific “I need x from the store, so I’ll grab it and be back” stuff but extended sprees where they go in all their favorite stores etc. Whether online or in person: Consistently buying stuff they do not need, like getting three Amazon packages a week. Using shopping as a coping mechanism e.g. had a bad day, better cheer myself up with a new pair of shoes.
And prioritizing shopping over important things like time with family or friends, financial stability, etc.
Someone who is addicted to shopping.