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Shopping Addiction

Shopping Addiction 
 
This article "Mall Addiction" expands on the article "Process Addiction" A mall addicted person is addicted to the act of shopping and spending money. Consequences of spending addiction manifest in all areas of the addicted persons life expecially in thier credit. Tips to cut down your shopping and ways to get help for a mall addiction. 
 
How can some people manage their money while others go thousands of dollars into debt?
6% of America has a shopping addiction.
America breeds shopaholics. Spending is embedded in our culture. Politicians encourage spending as a patriotic economy booster. Social worth is gained through consumerism. Advertising tells us exactly what shopaholics feel: shopping will make us happy.  

What Is A Mall Addiction?:
Being addicted to shopping is bigger than over buying gifts at Christmas time. Compulsive spenders treat shopping like drug addicts treat chemicals. When these addicted people shop endorphins and dopamine are unleashed and the shopper feels good. Shopping becomes their main coping mechanism.They use shopping to get high. There becomes an inability to control their shopping despite feelings of guilt or remorse. Shopaholics spend hours they aren’t shopping obsessing about money or things they want to buy. They endlessly chase the shopping buzz into the depths of credit card debt and personal consequences.
America breeds shopaholics. Spending is embedded in our culture. Politicians encourage spending as a patriotic economy booster. Social worth is gained through consumerism. Rappers sing about shopping as much as they talk about drug dealing. Advertising tells us exactly what shopaholics feel: shopping will make us happy.  

The Shopaholic's At Home Cures:
A few tricks to try to stop shopping.
  • Cut up the cards. Credit cards enable and inspire overspending.
  • Cash only. When you carry only cash you can’t spend money you don’t have. You will also literally see and feel how much you are spending.
  • Shopping Journal. Tracking your spending shows you what’s really going on. Many shopaholics don’t look at what they’re spending at all while others don’t factor in the “little” things like eating out ($100-infinity/month) or knick-knacks.
  • Tax Yourself. Force yourself to save a percentage of what you spend (good luck if your shopping addiction as progressed to an unmanageable level)
  • Ask yourself if you really need it.
  • Stay out of malls and places where you usually shop the most.
Mall Addiction Help:
  • Professional Counseling. Counseling can help you get to the root of why you have a need to shop.
  • Treatment. There are now treatment centers for spending.
  • Support Groups. Debtors anonymous is a 12 step group which meets regularly so shoppers in recovery can share with each other.
  • Credit counseling. Many people who seek treatment have an average debt of around $70,000.

When you have to hide trips to the mall like a dope fiend hides his drugs shopping has become too much for you to handle. Treatment and support have helped thousands of other over-spenders to get back on the track to financial and emotional stability.


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is managing editor at AllTreatment.com.