Too much shopping

[PrincessX]

When does excessive shopping for clothes become compulsive? Is it "normal" to keep buying a lot of T-shirts when your kids already have 40 pairs of them each? I mean, same goes for other items. What do the other people on here do? I find a lot of pleasure in shopping recently and I buy a lot of everything, it just drives me crazy that I do not have a sense of whether this particular item is needed or not. I would like to think I am able to control this, but whenever I feel sad, I go and spend money and I instantly feel "better". I am a little worried about it. I know I can stop the behaviour. The thing is, I can either stop shopping completely (other than groceries) or I have a shopping spree every time I enter certain stores (mostly children's boutiques and women's boutiques).

 

[Retired]

Have a look at this article:

Compulsive Buying: An Impulse-Control Disorder | Psychology Today

as well as:

How to manage compulsive shopping or spending addiction

 

[PrincessX]

Thank you Steve, this is very helpful. Unfortunately some of this information relates to me (in fact a lot of it) - like having racks of clothes and shoes with the labels on, shopping for a "high" feeling and so on. Some relatives were criticizing me about the habit, but I am pretty good at hiding new purchases, so it was just the initial feeling of guilt and disappointment with them. I can afford to buy all the stuff and the money does not really stop me. I have recently given away brand new clothes to acquaintances, as well as to a children's hospital. I realize I do not have time to organize all these things at home. I looked at the clothes and shoes I bought over the last month and I thought "Wow this is really crazy". Fortunatelly some stores would take some stuff back, but it is time consuming. This was getting almost as bad as the binge eating period. I am almost over the binge eating now, and I guess this was the substitute. It might help if I try to keep up to a strict structure every day, so that I do not have time to do shopping. It is too easy now - you can phone shop or online shop and get everything delivered to you. Sometimes I do it while I am sending e-mails etc.It is terrible. But I have done half the work by realizing it is a problematic behaviour. Thanks for your help.