Addicted to shopping? You could be ill
Shopping addiction should be recognised as a mental health condition because so many people are now showing worrying signs of obsessive behaviour because of the convenience of internet shopping, psychiatrists have argued.
A new analysis of 122 people seeking treatment for buying-shopping disorder (BSD) found that one third are reporting symptoms of addictive online purchasing.
At present, BSD is not classed as a separate mental health condition, but as an “other specified impulse control disorder” in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. It defines an extreme preoccupation with and craving for buying or shopping, as well as irresistible and identity-seeking urges to possess consumer goods.
Patients with BSD buy more consumer goods than they can afford, need, or use to get pleasure, but researchers said the ease with which people could satisfy their cravings online was exacerbating the issues and causing problematic addictions.
People who scored higher on shopping disorder tests were found to be far more anxious and depressed.
“It really is time to recognise BSD as a separate mental health condition and to accumulate further knowledge about BSD on the internet,” said lead investigator Dr Astrid Muller, of the department of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy at Hannover Medical School in Germany.
The researchers warn that online shopping creates a perfect storm of availability, anonymity, accessibility and affordability that contribute to the development of an addiction.
In the long term, such addictions can lead to family breakdown, debt, and even criminal activity to pay for purchases.
The research was published in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry.