The Mind of a Shopaholic

Apparently some people (mostly males) have a hard time understanding the shopaholic psyche, so I am dedicating this blog to explaining the mind of a shopahoilc. Sure people like to joke about it but it truly is a real and serious disorder, also known as compulsive shopping disorder. I don't like to think of it as compulsive but simply a desire. A Dr. from an article in MSN Money says this of his shopaholic patients, "What the patients will typically describe is they have a baseline preoccupation with shopping, they're always thinking about it, and a tension builds and they have to satisfy that tension by going out and shopping. That relieves the tension, at least for the time being," he says.. I have to say I agree with this statement. If I do not go to a mall for a couple weeks there is a tension that builds up. I actually have an urge to get to the mall and shop. I will keep thinking about it until I get to the mall. I can sometimes control the urge by doing some surfing on the net and filling a shopping bag but not actually checking out. When I do get into a store I get overwhelmed with all the stuff I want and start loading up my cart. I often find myself having trouble deciding what color to get in a certain item so I buy it in several different colors. I also buy stuff that I don't really like or need simply because it is on sale and a good price. I have been trying to catch myself on this one and only buying it if I really love it and not because it is on sale for $1.99. Although I sometimes justify these purchases because they are less then a Big Mac or a Starbucks Coffee. Then I will buy a Big Mac and a Starbucks coffee on the way home. When I do see something I want it is near impossible to talk myself out of it and I start devising a plan to hide it from my husband when I get home. I convince myself that I cannot live without this item and it will complete my wardrobe, for a few days anyway. There is some guilt that sometimes seeps in but have learned to ignore it until after I have gone through the register, and then it is too late. The guilt however goes away quite quickly and I am soon yearning for another trip to the mall. When I know I have a shopping trip coming up I actually feel a joyous high. The closer I get to the mall the wider my smile gets. I get flush in the face and red in the cheeks when I come across a great sale rack. There is no better high then happening
upon the perfect sale at the prefect time. Once I go on a big spree it usually settles my shopping urge for a few weeks, but eventually I find myself with nothing to wear again. Having all this in writing is making it look way worse then it really is........that or there might be some denial happening here. In my defense I do buy allot of clothes, but I never ever buy anything over $10 and usually is around the $4.99 mark. So of course I get way more clothes then the person who spend $90 on one pair of jeans. I have complete outfits including shoes for less then $20. Ben says that would be fine if I found a deal and bought that one item. But because It is such a great deal I buy several. So I am spending the same money as the $90 jeans person but I am getting allot more. I could never find the $1.99 sale and just buy one. I think that is illegal anyway. So there you have it. I hope this helps you out Jeff. You may not understand the mind of a shopaholic but
that's okay, because I cannot fathom a person who does not like to shop. That is just crazy talk! I challenge you to take this test and see if you to are a shopaholic. http://www.yournewromance.com/shopaholicquiz.html Let me know your results. I am sure I am not the only one out there.