Shopping Addiction

By P. Casey Arrillaga, LCSW, LCDC

Shopping addiction is increasingly becoming recognized as a process addiction. If you’re not familiar with that term, check out our previous blog post, “Process Addictions” that was published on May 27, 2024. Shopping addiction is just what it sounds like: shopping and spending in ways that are recognizably addictive. This post will look at how this addictive pattern can be recognized, how it may be compared to other addictions, controversy about it, and how this knowledge can be used to help people.

What We Know So Far

Shopping addiction involves an ongoing unhealthy pattern of behavior when it comes to buying and spending. For some people, this may also include out-of-control use of credit to make purchases. Like other addictions, this may involve behaviors that many people experiment with for a period of time. Many people stop when they see it is not working for them or when they experience negative consequences, but for some, it’s not so easy. It becomes an addiction when the person continues the behaviors even after significant negative consequences have been experienced. Often, the person who is suffering tells themselves and/or others they will moderate or stop their spending behaviors. They may be dismayed to find that these commitments go out the window without warning, and they are right back to their old behaviors. Some may be able to moderate for a while only to return to previous spending levels or worse. They may try to justify and rationalize their spending, while knowing deep inside that they are in trouble. Many find that when they try to stop or slow their spending, they feel depressed, desperate, anxious, or restless until they spend again. People in the grip of this condition often find themselves questioning what is wrong with them that they can’t stop. This can lead to worsening self-image, shame, and even despair. Many consider suicide as the only way out of the financial crises their spending creates.

People who are familiar with other addictions will recognize key features here that are common to all addictions: a negative behavior that someone continues long after logic tells them they should stop, tolerance that leads to increasing the behavior in an attempt to get the desired effects, withdrawal that creates enough discomfort that the person returns to the old pattern, justifying and rationalizing the negative behavior, seeming unable to stick to commitments to self and others to stop, and negative emotional consequences that can become life-threatening.

Despite all this, there are still many professionals and laypeople who are resistant to thinking of this behavior as an addiction on par with chemical addictions or even other process addictions such as gambling disorder. They usually argue that our society wants to see every behavior as a disorder, and that we are especially quick to prescribe medications for “newly recognized” problems.

Nonetheless, there are many researchers and clinicians who are starting to see “addiction” as a blanket term that describes an underlying problem that can manifest itself in many ways, often within the same person. From this perspective, someone who suffers from addiction may find they have problems with alcohol, THC, shopping, and romantic relationships. These may show up all at once, one at a time, or some may get worse whenever another gets better. Rather than say they have four separate addictions, it may be more helpful to recognize that they have one underlying condition that is showing up in several ways. This conception leads to less pathologizing while also avoiding the trap of turning a blind eye to serious problems by only acknowledging the most obvious issue.

How Can We Use This Knowledge to Help People?

At Windmill, we come from the perspective that all addictions share a common root and often have underlying conditions that cause or exacerbate them, such as unresolved trauma, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. Given this, we see no fundamental difference between chemical and process addiction, and we know that addressing one while ignoring another only sets a person up for failure, something we refuse to do. This is why we not only give each client a thorough assessment at intake, but continue to look out for addictive behaviors that may emerge as treatment progresses. Our staff meets regularly to compare observations so we can catch problems as they arise. For instance, staff at our on-campus general store may see that a client seems to be shopping compulsively and relay that to the primary therapist and recovery coach to explore with the client.

When a client starts to see they have a problem with spending, it may have never occurred to them that this is a known condition, let alone that there is help available. We educate our clients first and foremost, and then help them address the behavior. In the case of shopping addiction, we help them use the tools of 12 Step, SMART Recovery, and Recovery Dharma in whatever combination works for them. Recovery Dharma and SMART both welcome people with any addiction, and 12 Step recovery offers specialized meetings through Debtors Anonymous. We help clients find meetings and literature that work for them, sponsors/mentors who have recovered from similar issues, and offer therapy to address the underlying issues that lead to or exacerbate the addiction. We have staff members who are familiar with the tools of all these programs and may even be in recovery from similar issues. We consult with each other to make sure each client is getting what they need.

The Bottom Line

Shopping addiction shows up with similar features to any other addiction. This offers great hope, because once the addiction is recognized, many of the same tools that work for other addictions will apply here. At Windmill, we are familiar with shopping addiction and can offer specialized help to help clients get and keep it under control.

About The Author

P. Casey Arrillaga is the Team Leader for Education at Windmill Wellness Ranch, and he is the author of books including “Realistic Hope: The Family Survival Guide for Facing Alcoholism and Other Addictions”.