Though most people associate compulsive shopping, or "shopaholism," with women, studies show that men are just as likely as women to compulsively shop. Men and women spend about the same amount on discretionary items, they just spend it on different things. Women are more likely to spend money on clothing, and men spend an equal amount on restaurants, transportation and electronic gadgets.
More shopping statistics:
- It's estimated that 5-10 percent of adults in the United States are compulsive shoppers. Psychologically, compulsive shopping is tied into both hoarding and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The behavior is officially known as compulsive buying disorder, or oniomania.
- The cause of oniomania is not clear, but theories range from childhood trauma to advertising overload.
- Most people who compulsively shop begin to do so in their late 20s and continue in chronic bouts for the rest of their lives unless they seek treatment.
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More Info: www.bls.gov
Discussion Comments
@Viranty - You do bring up a very good point, as that used to be the reason for my compulsive shopping as well. However, since then, I've learned to manage my money a lot better. Money gives us power, and when we have power, we take advantage of that, sometimes without even thinking of the ramifications or consequences.
While the article doesn't mention this, I think one of the reasons why people shop compulsively is due to the fact that they have a lot of money. Besides, when you have plenty of cash in your wallet, don't you feel like you should spend it on just about anything? This has been the case with me several times.
It's very interesting that men can shop just as compulsively as women, if not even more so. However, what makes them different is what they shop for. Just like it's mentioned in the article, women are about fashion and clothing. However, men are more about electronic gadgets and hardware. Maybe the reason why people always associate women with shopping is because they follow a "stereotype" of sorts, which includes jewelery and needless accessories, such as the latest trends.
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