Excessive Buying Behavior or Excessive

 Shopping Behavior

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Co It is defined as frequent preoccupation with buying or impulses to buy that are experienced as irresistible, intrusive, and/or senseless. The buying behavior causes marked distress, interferes with social functioning and marriage and often results in financial problems.

Those suffering from uncontrollable buying behavior often experience feeling elated after making a purchase. However, once the item is in their possession, elation wears off and depression or emptiness returns. This includes feeling angry for having made the unnecessary purchases.

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Excessive Buying Behavior is a real uncontrollable habit. People with this shopping problem often cannot stop thinking about going out to shop. They cannot contain or control the wish to buy more things. What is the old joke, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping?” In actuality, the opposite is true. Excessive Buying Behavior is often a failed attempt to cope with emotions that cannot be tolerated. For example, many years ago a very wealthy patient would compulsive and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, whether they can or cannot afford it, as a way to chase away his feelings of deep sadness and emptiness. As with all cases of monomania, no sooner did he bring the item home, he lost interest and fell back to feeling sad, empty and bored. This called a excessive behavior because the wish to shop and make purchases is irresistible. Like someone who is drinking alcohol uncontrollably, the individual must get out and go the stores in order to make all types of purchases. Those with this behavior often risk or fall into bankruptcy because the accumulated expenses become overwhelming and the person cannot meet their bills.

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Excessive shoppers easily get themselves and their families into debt. In the worst cases people take second  mortgages on their homes. When debt gets completely out of control it is then necessary to declare bankruptcy. Because excessive shoppers spend so much money, they must keep their spending secret from their husband or wife. Ultimately, there comes that day when the dismal condition of family finances comes to light. Once that happens, relationships end in divorce and families are pulled apart. This happens because the anger and sense of betrayal are powerful.

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In some ways excessive shopping behavior is connected to hoarding. Purchases are repetitively made of items that the person already has. By and large, these things are stored and not used once they are home. For instance, many types of watches, pocketbooks or shoes may be purchased. However, once home, they are put in the drawer or closet, along with all the other watches, never to be seen or worn again. Then, purchases can pile up much like what happens with a hoarder. In this case, the full emphasis is on shopping and buying. At the very same time there is a tendency for the shopper to keep the purchases a secret from friends and family.

It has been found that 1% to 6% of the population suffers with this problem. Among those, 90% are female. The causes are not clear. Some experts believe the source of the problem lies in some form of neurological problem. Other suggestions are that there may be a correlation between having been abused or unloved during childhood and developing this behavior.

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While it may seem to loved ones as though this destructive behavior is deliberate, it is not. This is a real illness in which people are driven to do things over which they have no control.

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These are the sort of things that may people with excessive shopping behavior often experience:

1. Shopping to improve mood

2. Getting a good feeling when making a purchase, but feeling bad soon after

3. Possessing many items that have never been used or worn

4. Suffering with a large and increasing debt, but still shopping habit

5. Feeling very sad after a big shopping trip

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Help is available. Research is being done on what causes this behavior as well as what are the best ways to go out helping people. It is possible to get help for excessive buying behavior... At present this consists of hypnosis...

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How can hypnosis help uncontrollable habits?

Shopping is learned behavior as no one is born with uncontrollable habits. Hypnosis can reprogramme the mindset easily and instantly. Hypnosis may help anyone overcome their uncontrollable habits by helping them to believe in themselves and rediscover their self-worth and confidence.