Dear Dr. Garner,

I’m very concerned about my sister Mary. She has an uncontrollable urge to shop. At first we found it humorous, however, now it is becoming very serious. She has run up large credit card bills, and has unopened purchases throughout the house. When we confront her, she becomes very defensive. Is there such a thing as being addicted to shopping, and if so, is there anything we can do? I really hope you can help me, as this is beginning to break up our family.

Sincerely,
Shopaholic Sister in Sunnyside

Dear Sister,
I am very sorry for your problem. I was just discussing this issue with my good friend and loyal Tablet reader Stella Sumani. There most definitely is a disorder known as shopping addiction. It has a fancy scientific name “oniomania.” People with this condition shop on impulse, usually to cope with a difficult situation such as depression. With shopping addiction, the people afflicted are preoccupied with thoughts such as spending, buying, returning, and purchasing. There are often interpersonal problems as a result of the addiction. They may start fighting with their spouse, children, or other family members. They may miss work or neglect obligations. The cause may be due to an emptiness inside that needs to be filled, or a way to calm down. They think shopping is going to make them feel better, and unfortunately advertising reinforces this. This addiction is serious, just as alcohol addiction is. There is a chemical imbalance that occurs in the same part of the brain as in other addictions. It is often difficult to figure out who is addicted, and who merely goes overboard on occasional spending. The estimates are that about 7% of the U.S. population has this addiction.

Below is a test that can help determine if one is truly shopping addicted. How would you answer these?
1. Do you take off for the stores, when you’ve experienced a setback or disappointment, or when you feel angry, or scared?
2. Are your spending habits disturbing to you, and have they created chaos in your life?
3. Have your shopping habits created conflicts between you and close family members?
4. Do you buy items with your credit cards that you wouldn’t buy if you had to pay cash?
5. Do you feel lost without your credit cards?
6. Do you spend a lot of time juggling accounts and bills to accommodate your shopping debts?
7. Do you think about money excessively?
8. When you shop, do you get a rush or euphoria mixed with feeling of anxiety?
9. When you return home after shopping, do you feel guilty ashamed, or embarrassed?
10. Do you have unopened packages that you purchase throughout the house?
11. Do you become defensive when asked about your shopping habits by family members?
12. Do you buy things you don’t need?

If you answered yes to four or more of the above, you may be shopping addicted.

It is interesting, that contrary to popular belief, men and women actually are at equal risk for developing this. Many people erroneously think this is a woman’s disease.

I would like to stress that being addicted to shopping is a serious matter. It can break up families, and interfere with one’s life, job, and home. There are support groups available for people addicted to shopping. In addition, psychological counseling is often of help. There are even medications, some of which work directly on the portion of the brain involved in the addiction, which can be useful in controlling the process.

Lacking control of one’s impulse to spend is similar to not being able to control one’s impulse to drink alcohol. The repercussions are just as serious, and in both cases you may end up with no money, ruined relationships, and facing criminal charges.

I urge you to have your sister visit her family doctor for guidance and for direction as to the next step. The same type of chemical surge in the brain that occurs when one is an addict to heroin or alcohol occurs with shopping. It can be a very difficult addiction to break. While it is often made fun of by comedians and even family members, this is a very serious matter that requires treatment as soon as possible. I thank you for your question, and hope that you understand that your sister may have a serious medical problem, which should be treated no differently than other serious medical issues.

* Reprinted with permission of The Tablet