Shopping addiction is an issue that can be hard to deal with. You can feel like you’re doing the right thing for yourself, but if you don’t understand what’s going on inside your brain, the problem can get worse.
In this post, we’ll discuss some signs and symptoms of shopping addiction so you can start changing your behavior today.
You can’t stop buying things.
You can’t stop buying things. You want to, but you just can’t. It seems like every time you go shopping, you end up with another bag full of stuff that wasn’t on your list at all–and sometimes even things that were on the list but don’t fit into your budget or lifestyle.
You buy things when they’re on sale and then regret it later when they aren’t in style anymore. You find yourself spending more money than planned because “it was so cheap!” But then what? Are these items going straight into storage? Or will they just become clutter around your house? And how much debt do these purchases add up over time?
You feel guilty or ashamed about your spending.
Shame and guilt are common feelings associated with a shopping addiction. You may feel ashamed of your spending habits or guilty that you’re not spending enough money on food or other essentials.
These negative emotions can lead to more compulsive buying, which in turn leads to more shame and guilt over the purchases made due to this behavior cycle. If you find yourself feeling this way regularly, it’s important that you seek help from a therapist or support group who can help break these patterns down.Â
You have no idea how much money you owe.
You may have a shopping addiction if you have no idea how much money you owe.
If you can’t track how much money is in your bank account, this could indicate that the spending habits associated with a shopping addiction are taking over. It might also mean that some big purchases are looming on the horizon (like paying off student loans). But, instead of planning and setting aside funds for those expenses, they get pushed onto credit cards instead, and then those larger bills get paid off with more credit card debt!
Spending makes you feel happy instantly but miserable later on.
When you spend money, you don’t always consider what it could mean for your future. You may feel happy at the moment, but then later on, when reality sets in–you’re still broke and have to deal with the consequences of your spending spree (like having less money).
This can be especially damaging if spending becomes a way to escape from problems or negative emotions.
Your bills go unpaid because you’ve spent the money on shoes or clothes.
If you’re using shopping as an escape, it’s likely that you’ve lost track of how much money is coming in and going out. If this is the case, it’s essential to be honest with yourself about what your finances look like.
If you are in debt, now is the time to start making changes – not only so that you can get out of those debts but also because debt can lead to other problems like depression and anxiety.
Your financial situation is all-consuming to the point it’s hard to focus on work, school, or your family life.
Your financial situation is one of the most important aspects of your life, and if it’s consuming all of your time and energy, that’s a big problem. If you’re spending too much time worrying about money and not enough on other aspects of your life, such as schoolwork, family, relationships, etc. Then this is an indicator that something needs to change.
You rationalize your spending behaviors by saying things like, “I deserve this.”
You might try to rationalize your spending habits by saying things like, “I deserve this.” The truth is that you don’t need anything in particular to feel better about yourself or your life. You just need to learn how to be happy with what you have and set boundaries for yourself so that you don’t go overboard with unnecessary purchases.
