Oniomania, the compulsive shopper’s disorder

We live in a materialistic and consumerist society, and this can affect our mental health.

We cannot deny that that consumerism during the Christmas season increases considerably.. In fact, there is a huge variety of products on offer in the marketplace that are displayed for the public to see and are the object of desire of thousands and thousands of consumers who walk past carefully displayed shop windows brimming with items.

However, although the average consumer has constant visual contact with these consumer products, he or she does not have the financial convenience to purchase them. This can lead to anxiety and frustration, as well as fuel the need to own fashionable items and products to differentiate oneself from others.

Oniomania: shopping, one of the great modern pleasures

To indulge in excessive buying, beyond one's material possibilities, is unsustainable and for many families it can lead to serious generalized discomfort due to the consequences it entails.

This abnormal acquisition of articles is called compulsive buying y is defined as a persistent, irresistible, assailing and repetitive purchase motivation, its action is experienced as a pleasurable and discomfort-reducing sensation, but it can also be a source of discomfort. and discomfort reducing, but in the long run it can be a behavioral pattern that generates serious problems.

Currently, compulsive shopping affects between 1.1% - 5.9% of the general population.

Women are more compulsive shoppers

A recent study published in Global Conference on Business and Finance Proceedings (2015) concludes that among the subjects evaluated, women show a more compulsive attitude when making unnecessary purchases, and describe feeling more pleasurable and intense emotions compared to men.and describe feeling more pleasurable and intense emotions compared to men. In another case, Kraepelin affirmed the same conclusion, between 80% and 92% of the cases studied occurred in women around 30 years of age.

It is concluded that women tend to make compulsive purchases in relation to clothing, shoes and accessories and the few men who suffer from this addiction are more likely to spend money on electronic devices and items arising from new technologies in general.

The psychological profile of a compulsive shopper

This is a psychological disorder, not a vice.

The current DSM-IV (Clinical Diagnostic Manual) does not describe this behavior as a disorder. does not describe this behavior as a recognized disorderThus, the sufferer is relegated to the category of "Impulse Control Disorder Not Otherwise Specified".

Among people suffering from oniomania, a high degree of comorbidity is reported, so that often compulsive shoppers often meet criteria for other disorders, in particular those related to theIn particular, those related to mood, anxiety, substance abuse and there are even studies that indicate a notable link with eating disorders.

Classic studies on this subject reveal a certain hereditary tendency; McElroy and collaborators found that out of 18 compulsive shoppers, 17 had a relative with mood disorders, 11 with substance abuse, 3 with anxiety disorders and 3 more with compulsive shopping.

The origins (causes) of oniomania

There are two possible origins that lead to the development of compulsive behavior. On the one hand, one of the causes refers to the relationship between performing a repetitive behavior that generates satisfaction. That is to say, a person begins to engage in the behavior of buying repeatedly because brings him or her a strong dose of satisfaction and pleasureThe behavior of buying, until it finally becomes a habit that ends up in compulsion.

On the contrary, it is possible that it arises because the person does not feel capable of facing some aspect of his reality, or does not know how to face the personal problems that overwhelm him, so he seeks to solve his lacks by means of excessive purchases. In this case, the compulsive behavior would be due to a sort of emotional escape route.

The 4 phases of compulsive buying

We observe the phases that govern all compulsive buying:

1. Anticipation

Thoughts, impulses and concerns arise in relation to a specific product or about the habit of buying.

2. Preparation

Decisions begin to be made about where the product will be purchased, how the payment will be made (usually bank cards are used), how to get to the store or the way in which the product will be acquired (online, physical store...). In certain cases, extra information about the desired item is inquired.

3. Buy

They live it as a frankly exciting and pleasurable experience. For people with oniomania, the moment of purchase is an expected moment that makes them feel good.

4. Spending and disappointment

Once the purchase has been made and the money has been spent, a feeling of disappointment with oneself arises, together with feelings of guilt, anger, resentment and the firm intention of not repeating the behavior.

Why compulsive buying?

If we wanted to cover all the possible answers to this question I am sure we would not have enough space, so we are going to focus only on the most common causes and those that most influence this compulsive behavior.

• There is a real feeling of loneliness or personal emptiness.. The person when performing the behavior is convinced that he/she will be able to fill that internal void, however, what happens after the compulsive buying is that the emptiness becomes bigger and bigger, entering a loop from which it is difficult to get out.
• The sensation experienced when a new product is acquired. The positive emotions that occur during the purchase can encourage the behavior to be repeated.
• At sale time, the fear of missing out on a good bargain directly influences the behavior directly influences behavior, encouraging the shopper to buy as soon as possible.
• The disorder itself itself leads to these purchases. You lose control and only pursue to satisfy what you experience as a vital need.

And after the purchase... what?

The compulsive buyer experiences, once the action of buying has been carried out, strong feelings of guilt and anxiety which can even lead to depressive symptoms in response to the behavior and the excessive spending.

However, these effects cannot be attributed solely to irrational shopping, since most people who engage in this behavior also exhibit strong compulsive traits, which manifest themselves in the form of certain behavioral, cognitive and/or physiological symptoms. In order to overcome these feelings of anguish and depressed mood, the person may resort to making new purchases, so that the circle becomes ever tighter.

It is this dynamic of looping activities that makes compulsive buying something that is very difficult to disengage from. Among other things, because recognizing that we are addicted to something is a blow to our beliefs and ideas that can be explained by the theory of cognitive dissonance: the more we buy, the more we are forced to justify that habit by making more purchases. Thus, compulsive shoppers have a narrower and narrower margin of maneuver, and the situation worsens because the lack of money is more and more evident, which transforms oniomania into a problem in many areas of life.

Treatments for oniomania

There are different ways of dealing with these cases. Sometimes, several types of treatment can be used simultaneously or in combination.

1. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy begins by expressing the need to introduce a change in the life of the person suffering from shopping obsession.

It is very important to to discover how the person conceives him/herself and how he/she tries to satisfy his/her needs, as well as to analyze what kind of ideas govern his/her personality in order toIt is also important to analyze what kind of ideas govern his or her personality in order to begin to modify them. In the psychological treatment from the cognitive-behavioral model, people with oniomania are also trained to manage their states of anxiety, both in recognizing this emotion and in modulating its influence on the body, preventing it from being expressed through harmful behaviors such as compulsive buying.

Great results have been observed through group therapies, where the experience is shared with subjects who present the same problem.

2. Pharmacological treatment

Currently, drug treatment (SSRIs) used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder has proven to be the most effective, since the premeditation associated with the act of shopping may be that of an obsession and its physical behavior resembles a compulsive ritual. may resemble that of an obsession and its physical behavior resembles that of a compulsive ritual.. The only difference between a compulsive shopper and someone suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is that in the latter the behavior is totally involuntary from the outset.

As mentioned, both treatments can be carried out at the same time, offering better results.

5 final tips to prevent this obsession

These tips are applicable at any time of the year, but they can be very useful at Christmas time and during sales when it is easier for us to feel a greater need to purchase products and articles.

• Avoid last-minute shopping
• Ir a comprar en transporte público
• Anotar en una lista lo que vas a necesitar
• Evitar comprar en momentos de euforia o desánimo
• Elaborar un presupuesto semanal

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Dell'Osso, B.; Altamura, A.C.; Allen, A.; Marazziti, D.; Hollander, E. (2006). Epidemiologic and clinical updates on impulse control disorders: a critical review. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 256(8): pp. 464 - 475.
• Hartston, H,J.; Koran, L., M. (2002). Impulsive behavior in a consumer culture". International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 6(2): pp. 65 - 68.
• Kellett S.; Bolton J.V. (2009). Compulsive buying: A cognitive-behavioural model". Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16(2): pp. 83 - 99.