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| Other Impulse Control Disorders | Shopping addiction is shaping up as an epidemic lately. Researchers found out that about twenty percent of German women acknowledge their insuperable desire to buy something all the time. The addiction has conquered 40 % of American women, whereas 52 % of British females said they found shopping a lot more enjoyable than sex. There is no such statistics data as far as Russian women are concerned although the passion for shopping has been developing in Russia steadily.
Shopping addicted people experience a feeling of elation when they shop but feel guilty when they return home and scrutinise their big bags of unwanted items. Shopping addiction could happen to anyone but is found especially among those suffering from frequent spells of depression.
It usually happens because it diverts the mind, gives people a sense of power, helps to develop an interest in the outer world and gives them a feeling of personal worth which they may otherwise not have. Shopping addiction is not an addiction or an obsession.
It is part of a group of disorders called Impulse Control Disorders. These include Kleptomania (the impulse to steal) and Pyromania (the impulse to burn things). People suffering from these kinds of disorders are not able to control their emotions. These kind of shopping sprees are more than just about money as they may land a person into debt or even ruin relationships.
The biggest impact is financial debt. A person with this disorder may need to lie or steal to get money or he might hide purchases leading to a break-up of relationships.
Shopping addicts usually buy a lot of different goods and clothes when they visit stores not feelling sorry. Nevertheless when shop addicts come home and unpack bags they often wonder why they bought so much stuff.
If a young woman does shopping after she splits up with her boyfriend, for instance, the woman can be referred to as a shopping addict.
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