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Among the many other things in this world, gambling, sex, dieting, tanning, shopping can become an addiction. I know a few girls whose lives have been transformed in a way that makes shopping the only thing they live for, the only thing they ever want to do. They try to make money, steal money, save it for about two days and then spend it shopping. They buy clothes upon clothes upon clothes until their closets cannot hold anymore. This is an obsession and sadly, it is an addiction.

A shopping disorder can be fixed. However, most people who have a shopping disorder or a shopping addiction are unwilling to admit that they have one. They do not want others to tell them this and they do not want to believe it themselves. They don't think that shopping is a problem and they don't understand that they shouldn't be heading to the mall every week and dishing out $200.00 This becomes a problem and it can negatively affect much more than themselves. It can negatively effect their relationships that they have with both their families and their friends.

The best way to help a person who is struggling with a shopping disorder is to try and get them interested in something else. Shopping leaves a person empty. You have new clothes to wear, but once worn a few times, they become worn clothes. Then you have to buy something else. Shopping disorder or shopping addiction is nearly the same thing as emotional eating. Something else needs to be put into place to fill that void or the addiction/disorder will continue.

One thing I gave to my friend to help her fill that particular void was a desire to read. Once she started reading she became reading addicted. This is not really a bad thing but she made it into one. She visited every book store and bought book after book after book. That was all that she did. She did not do anything else. I thought it would be much better if she did other things to and if she tried her hardest not to spend money. She was a college student without rich parents and her lifestyle was ruining a lot of things for her, not to mention placing her farther and farther into debt. In the end, it was her new hobby of running that helped her. She ran and ran and ran. She limited the amount of outfits and running shoes she bought and she did much better.

Although getting a shopping disordered or addicted person to admit to their mistake and helping them to stop is difficult, it is well worth it and is something that you should definitely consider.

Learn more about this author, Gabrielle Schrader.
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