A compulsive shopper is someone who is addicted to shopping, much in the same way that one might be addicted to gambling or alcohol. The term compulsive shopper is used because a person has a compulsion, or need to shop that overrides the person’s ability to consider the consequences of spending money.

Sometimes the term compulsive shopper may also apply to people who make last minute unnecessary purchases. In fact store merchandising often appeals to shoppers who might make a last minute purchase. Items located around a cashier can lure the shopper into a quick decision regarding throwing a few extra things in the shopping cart. Grocery stores, for example, usually send one through a line with colorful magazines, razors, gum, and a few other items that may not be needed.

However, the occasional purchase of an extra magazine at the cashier station is quite different than an addiction to shopping. Like all addictions the compulsive shopper gets a temporary “high” from making a purchase. Generally, the elevation of mood is short-lived and encourages the behavior again so that one can achieve the same “high.”

This is a vicious cycle, because often the compulsive shopper is wracked by feelings of guilt in between shopping excursions. As well, the more the habit grows, the more likely the compulsive shopper will begin to experience a great deal of debt. Generally, the compulsion to shop overrides practical concerns and can send people to financial ruin. A compulsive shopper can quickly max out credit cards, fail to pay for things like food, rent or utilities, or begin to steal if there is no money left to shop.

What a compulsive shopper purchases is usually not important. Further, until recently, most people believed that shopping addicts were mostly women. Studies show that men are almost as likely to become shopping addicts as well.

Addiction tends to arise from the “high” and from a deep-seated need to replace something lacking in one’s life. Natural healthy highs from good relationships, the pleasure of raising children, having friendships or performing well at work may be lacking. Thus the person seeks outside his or her current existence for a way to mask pain at missing such things. Some turn to alcohol, drugs or gambling, and others turn to shopping.

Compulsive shopping is a hard addiction to overcome since people do need to shop for basic things like food and clothing. Thus a person cannot completely eliminate shopping. There is help, however, for the compulsive shopper. There are shoppers anonymous groups, and many treatment facilities that help people deal with any type of addictive behavior.

Seeking help is indeed important, because often compulsive shopping can lead people to rock bottom situations where they lose all of their possessions. As well, compulsive shopping can damage relationships with spouses or with children, beyond repair.