Shopping addiction

"Fun rarely goes together with necessity..."

Shopping used to be a chore. We bought things out of necessity rather than because it was a pleasurable activity.

During the last 150 years or so, however, that has changed. It happened slowly at first when the rich took to spending time browsing the merchandise and then having a cup of tea afterwards. When this was established as a pastime of the rich, everyone else started to emulate their example and do the same.

Suddenly, shopping had become an ‘activity’ or even an ‘experience’ that could provide fun, especially when experienced in the presence of like-minded friends.

Similar to any other activities we find pleasurable, this jump-starts the production of endorphins in the body, and as with other addictions, and we want more of it. And so we return to shop some more. Where does all this leave us, though? First of all, we seem to have lost sight of an important bit of knowledge: that there is a difference between ‘needing’ something or simply ‘wanting’ it.

The next step is ‘retail therapy’, going out with the intention to buy things because it makes you happy, because it takes you away from your daily (often depressing) life and into a world full of wonders, constant change, and the dreams of being famous, rich or beautiful. In the end, it’s a distraction from some other underlying issue, of course, but it’s an attractive one. It is also very addictive.

That brings us back to where we started: remember those society ladies 150 years ago who started the trend of browsing and drinking tea? Venture a guess why they did this? Probably they were tired of being cooped up at home and found the thrill of browsing attractive, maybe even slightly addictive. The only thing that’s changed is that in the modern world shops actively encourage such behaviour whereas back then it was rather seen as a nuisance to have someone wander around a shop without buying anything.

There is an especially bitter taste to all of this: if it all boils down, it’s the act of shopping that gives you the mental boost, not the item itself. However, the item is here to stay with you and it could be considered as clutter from the moment you bring it into your home.

There may be no sentimental attachment or practical use to many of the things you pay for, they only have negative effects: they cost you good money, you have to carry them home, store them somewhere, and in the end you’ll have to take the difficult decision to let go of something that has accumulated all the resentment associated with that journey.

Shopping addiction is a serious matter and it’s important to be able to recognise it in yourself, and take the necessary steps to remove yourself from that particular trap.