Are You A Shopaholic? You May Have Oniomania

In the age of consumption, flaunting is not the best medicine; it’s the poison!

More and more, marketing, advertising and advertising professionals create strategies to increase consumption, images, icons, colors, aromas, positions, etc.

To attract the desired audience, the feeling of pleasure and well-being is awakened, leading the consumer to make a purchase, often of an unnecessary object, in a behavior that, in many cases, can lead to indebtedness.

There are cases where the shopping compulsion is so great that the person does not notice that he is ill. This impulse disorder is called Oniomania, a person who is obsessed with shopping. This need to buy is compared to that of a drug addict.

You are upset and anxious to go to the mall to buy something; when he left the store, or even before, he already felt regret.

This behavior in the brain is linked to a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is responsible for the sensation of pleasure. However, this sensation quickly wears off, and soon the person feels sick and often needs to repeat this external stimulus to maintain dopamine levels in the brain’s reward system.

The act of shopping is not condemned by society, on the contrary, it is increasingly encouraged, which makes it difficult to diagnose the disease. It must be perceived by the person himself, as most of the times the attitudes are made hidden from friends and family, until there comes a point where your financial situation is in an endless pit, causing problems for those around you.

Some behaviors can signal that you are on your way to being a compulsive shopper. Borrowing from friends, taking out a credit card and being eager to consume right away, often using the word “lend”, feeling better in installment purchases than in cash, feeling embarrassed in normal conversations about the financial situation, don’t worrying about the commitments to be paid this month, always with the hope that in the future you will have money to pay. Observe and see if these behaviors are common in your routine.

Compulsive indebtedness

If your debts are keeping you awake, hinder your concentration at work, if you’ve already gotten drunk to think you’d forget your bills, you use little lies to take out loans and don’t even observe interest rates or ability to pay, if your debts are ruining your family relationship, if you think you will get out of debt without planning, if you fear that your family and friends will find out about your financial situation, well, if you are falling into most of these behaviors, everything indicates that you have a problem with compulsive indebtedness.

Don’t despair, there’s still time. There are several ways to control yourself financially, through family budget spreadsheets that will help you see where you are spending more, what needs to be cut, what can be saved, etc. And most importantly: at this stage, already seek help from someone you feel comfortable with to vent and help not to make the situation worse.

Causes of oniomania

Oniomania is considered a disease, although there is no well-established cause. However, situations in which people did not know how to face their fears, anxieties and anxieties, whether arising from problems experienced in the past within the family, in society or for individual reasons, can trigger this disorder.

Treatment of oniomania:

Do not freak out! There is treatment and the most important thing is that you recognize and seek help as soon as possible.

There is a mutual help fellowship called Borrowers Anonymous that holds face-to-face and online meetings, check if your city has one.

Another alternative is to follow up with psychologists, psychiatrists, do group or individual therapy.

Look for a financial advisor. These professionals are not just for companies, they will help you to write down your income and monthly expenses, defining with you a better way out.

Don’t be ashamed to admit you need help. Don’t lie to your father, mother, brother, uncle, nephew, husband, friend; you need help and alone the path is more tortuous, and often dark and dead-end. Don’t go blind; look for someone who can help and give you strength to get out of this. There is a solution, all you have to do is want.