The compulsive shopper
(When shopping becomes an obsession, and a problem)
He often reads. The compulsive shopper. A figure present in many television series and many series of books that have built its success in describing a 'spiritual' and in many ways a positive figure of the woman 'victim of shopping'. Yet the compulsive shopper syndrome is far from something to be proud.
It can cause serious problems to the person who suffers, and those around. And surprisingly also affects the male population, thus disproving a stereotype. To try to understand in a serious and complete this problem, we interviewed Professor Roberto Pani, Specialist and Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology of adult behavior Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. Here's what he said.
You can draw, to outline a profile of 'compulsive shoppers' typical? (We speak to women because they consider it a problem that affects mostly the female population but we are ready to be proven wrong) Even the man in recent years (2005-2009) gradually came into the category of compulsive shoppers, in the percentage of approximately 28% compared women. The young man in good economic conditions buy, unlike women, valuables that symbolically represent the power. Sometimes even children with little money into debt and strive to maintain this type of collection compulsive compulsively.
These young people buy watches and pens of value, sporting goods, lighters valuable, cutting-edge mobile phones, computers, latest-generation tools for listening and playing music, etc.., Sometimes some scooters.
In the case of rich people bought the cars are really unjustified for the real need that they would, as a patient of mine told me, business person who could not afford to change the car so often. Another patient told me of used cars, and it appears he collected ten can not really use them, but is driven by a need to recall what a child he admired the cars of that time, for example, Fiat 124, etc..
As you experience this problem, how to recognize the compulsive shopper? What are the attitudes and behaviors most frequently found? Such blatant exaggerations are often associated with abuse, such as gambling and other risky assets and reckless. It is not uncommon for alcohol and stimulants are companion to such raids.
The woman takes a different profile, and she begins between thirty / forty years, belongs to a middle class family, is fairly pleasant-looking and motivated to wear nice clothes and accessories. Usually, about ten years before, began to be interested to buy that in itself would be a good and joyful human predisposition, if this young girl did not develop a certain anxiety and concern that the guidance to turn to stores, already proving to be a little 'a compulsive tendency. The time it takes to see that twenty-five shops and warehouses of the city is significant and affects the enormous consumption of hours worked during the day, without that there is still a real purchase: if it is true, however, that time is money, you have to think that these girls already spend a lot of money.
Of course this time it acquires value in relation to their actual activities. Over time there is a rupture of the impulses that have hitherto been kept under control. The woman began to buy clothes, shoes, belts sophisticated, then clothing, jewelry, some fake jewelry. Many clothes, especially evening, are almost always unused. These people do not develop a sense of ownership to these purchases, but the stuff is only an instrumental means to meet an urgent need to accapararsi something that is an advantage, but that is an end in itself.
Following this period of buying a hypomanic period down because it increases the guilt and shame to self and family members who look startled those purchases. It creates a vicious circle, however, because the undisputed purchase includes two or three of the ego defense mechanisms, already identified by Freud in his day and then by his daughter Anna, in 1936.
The denial takes place as magical and omnipotent unconscious refusal of situations that are evident on an objective observation. The undoing is already done in canceling an action, but which one repents, for which you would not have it done. The magic of the annulment action is implemented and acted with another repeated action in a way equal to or greater than that already done and already happened to despise and devalue the real importance. It is a sort of contempt, triumph, defiance and dominance.
How to say I spent too much money ... I will use objects than ever. but who cares, I buy other .... So pass me the anguish of guilt, that I bought is worth nothing, I can ... I want to have as many. To hell with scruples!
This mechanism turns on a vicious cycle: excitement for the purchase, guilt and shame, undoing with new purchases, guilt, shame, denial and cancellation up to depression and a new excitement through new purchases ...
Clothing and clothing are usually not purchased or used or enjoyed, but their means to purchase the woman I exist as a purchase, because I eat because I can control the objects.
What are the causes of this disorder, which can sometimes become a real problem for the family of the person who suffers? The causes report to a person with a tenuous and fragile self, which strongly advocates having found a method that meets exciting provisionally until it becomes a disease. The excitement the void covers basic lack of purpose, lack of meaning and value of things human, the feeling of being in the spotlight of an opinion always burning hot, that is not worth anything because you are all 'height of what others expect, perhaps from an unconscious attitude of parents and in good faith but has devalued the child or the child, which then taking revenge, so to speak, what has not felt his and nutritious. The fetish static, not enjoyable but useless to inflate one's self.
What are the treatments? What should I do? Who to contact if you have this problem? Patients should be treated medically serious, especially when it jeopardizes the family economy and reach dangerous levels of excitement in the sense that feed a vicious unproductive for themselves because they can also lead to suicide attempts. Often this condition is also associated with other diagnoses, which overlap (dual diagnosis). Some gamble and lose more money, others take drugs and even hospitalization may be providential.
The proper medication is administered appropriately integrating accurate prescription with serotonin modulators of mood and anticiclotimici to control the depression and, at the same time, do not inflate the euphoric reaction to the melancholy of emptiness and boredom and lack of real prospects. The doctor of the garrison is the psychiatrist.
The less severe cases are divided into those who are willing to face their own situation and can take advantage of some introspection. For these patients, the psychoanalytic psychotherapy setting can be adjusted to a successful recovery of resilience, ie a processing capacity of untapped resources to a re-evaluation and enhancement of the Self.
Those, however, that does not have this ability to listen to minimal and therefore does not have a case of even minimal interior resonance, behavioral therapy is most suitable. The physician or psychologist psychotherapist is the specialist best suited in both these cases.
Thanks.
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