HOW TO STOP BEING A SHOPAHOLIC

Being a shopaholic is not as bad as we think and not really good too. Oniomania ( is the technical term for the compulsive desire to shop, more commonly referred to as compulsive shopping, shopping addiction, shopaholism, compulsive buying . Shopaholism often has roots in early experience, with failed parent-child transactions leading people to turn to objects to fill the sense of void and empty identity. Children who experience parental neglect often grow up with low self-esteem because throughout much of their childhood they felt unimportant as people, and turned to substitute comforts, such as toys or food, in compensation for loneliness. An example is the case of Michael Jackson. Adults who depended on materials for emotional support when they were much younger are more likely to become addicted to shopping because of the ongoing sentiment of deprivation they endured as children: the purchase of toy or food is substituted for affection. perfectionism, general impulsiveness and compulsiveness, and the need to gain control have also been linked to the disorder. Here are my own prescriptions to curb excessive shopping : 1) Only carry cash. Don’t use checkbook. Don’t even use a debit card. Inconvenient? Absolutely, but that’s the point. If you’re a compulsive spender, your goal is to break the habit. To do this, you’ve got to make sacrifices. You’ve also got to begin to make the connection between buying something and actually spending money. 2) In cases where you can't use cash, create an account with the lowest cash you can ever imagine for shopping. That's the only debit card you should always walk with. 3)Play mind games. For some people, money is not an emotional issue. They understand it intuitively. They’re able to make the smart choices without temptation to do otherwise. For most of us, though, money is more about mind than it is about math. For us, it can be useful to play tricks on ourselves. Ask yourself: “Is this a want or a need?” Try to discover what is motivating the purchase. Find purpose to every purchase you are going to make and what is going to fulfil. Yes, these are simple little tricks. But they’re tricks that work. If they can help you stop spending, that’s all that matters. 4) Ask for help. Beating an addiction can be tough when you’re going it alone. Seek support from your friends and family. Ask your spouse to help. (And be open when they call you on your actions — don’t get angry.) If you are a big fan of Keeping Up with the Kardashians then you won't have missed an episode where Kim was helped by other members of the family to curb her excessive shopping. 5) Finally, consider seeking professional help. There is no shame in obtaining psychotherapy for problems that seem bigger than you. Ultimately you must look inward to overcome any form of addiction — a therapist is like a trained guide who can help you find the way. All these ways won't work without a little bit of discipline.