Compulsive buying disorder
Encyclopedia
Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is characterized by an obsession with shopping and buying behavior that causes adverse consequences. Most persons with CBD meet the criteria for an axis II disorder
.
CBD is found in 5.8% of the United States population, approximately 80% of those affected are female.
with mood
, anxiety
, substance abuse
and eating disorders. Onset of CBD occurs in the late teens and early twenties and is generally chronic
. CBD is similar to, but distinguished from OCD hoarding
and mania
. Compulsive buying is not limited to people who spend beyond their means, it also includes people who spend an inordinate amount of time shopping or who chronically think about buying things but never purchase them. Promising treatments for CBD include medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
s (SSRIs), and support groups such as Debtors Anonymous
.
has noted that 'compulsive buying seems to occur globally' and that 'the majority of sufferers are women', as well as that there are 'commonalities and differences between compulsive buying and other forms of compulsive consumption'. Building on the way 'compulsive buying is a mood-enhancing mechanism', the fact that 'most purchases made by women in a compusive-buying episode seem to be linked to appearance-enhancing products, thus suggests that the compulsive "loop" is related to social risks associated with looking unattractive'.
, 'excessive, uncontrolled buying of consumer goods can be understood as a form of identity
seeking...an extreme form of identity seeking through material goods that lies on a continuum with everyday psychologically motivated buying'. Against the background of 'the transformations of consumer culture over the last few decades, this model focuses on endorsement of materialistic values and identity deficits as vulnerability factors for compulsive buying'.
In the globalized
context of a consumerist system that has 'specialised in generating and then granting the wishes of human beings and thereby ruling the world' - where we are all encouraged to 'shop till we drop'; to 'seek solace in material possessions' - CB inevitably poses the question, 'Minority pathology or Mass problem?'. When 'all across the economically liberal world, the banks treated financial irresponsibility as a valuable commodity, cheap credit was everywhere', and it was a point of social pride to be able to say 'my credit card is so far into the red it's turning purple' - when 'consumers don't buy products so much as narratives...to self-identify as' - such 'identity seeking through consumption combines with a consumerist culture infrastructure...[as] an important dimension of compulsive buying'.
Personality disorder
Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types and behaviors. Personality disorders are noted on Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-IV-TR of the American Psychiatric Association.Personality disorders are...
.
CBD is found in 5.8% of the United States population, approximately 80% of those affected are female.
Characteristics
CBD is frequently comorbidComorbidity
In medicine, comorbidity is either the presence of one or more disorders in addition to a primary disease or disorder, or the effect of such additional disorders or diseases.- In medicine :...
with mood
Mood disorder
Mood disorder is the term designating a group of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification system where a disturbance in the person's mood is hypothesized to be the main underlying feature...
, anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and eating disorders. Onset of CBD occurs in the late teens and early twenties and is generally chronic
Chronic (medicine)
A chronic disease is a disease or other human health condition that is persistent or long-lasting in nature. The term chronic is usually applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months. Common chronic diseases include asthma, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.In medicine, the...
. CBD is similar to, but distinguished from OCD hoarding
Compulsive hoarding
Compulsive hoarding is the acquisition of possessions in excess of socially normative amounts, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary...
and mania
Mania
Mania, the presence of which is a criterion for certain psychiatric diagnoses, is a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood, arousal, and/ or energy levels. In a sense, it is the opposite of depression...
. Compulsive buying is not limited to people who spend beyond their means, it also includes people who spend an inordinate amount of time shopping or who chronically think about buying things but never purchase them. Promising treatments for CBD include medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor are a class of compounds typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders. The efficacy of SSRIs is disputed...
s (SSRIs), and support groups such as Debtors Anonymous
Debtors Anonymous
Debtors Anonymous is a twelve-step program for people who want to stop incurring unsecured debt. Collectively they attend more than 500 weekly meetings in nine countries...
.
Evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychologyEvolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations, that is, the functional...
has noted that 'compulsive buying seems to occur globally' and that 'the majority of sufferers are women', as well as that there are 'commonalities and differences between compulsive buying and other forms of compulsive consumption'. Building on the way 'compulsive buying is a mood-enhancing mechanism', the fact that 'most purchases made by women in a compusive-buying episode seem to be linked to appearance-enhancing products, thus suggests that the compulsive "loop" is related to social risks associated with looking unattractive'.
Identity seeking
In terms of social psychologySocial psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
, 'excessive, uncontrolled buying of consumer goods can be understood as a form of identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
seeking...an extreme form of identity seeking through material goods that lies on a continuum with everyday psychologically motivated buying'. Against the background of 'the transformations of consumer culture over the last few decades, this model focuses on endorsement of materialistic values and identity deficits as vulnerability factors for compulsive buying'.
In the globalized
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
context of a consumerist system that has 'specialised in generating and then granting the wishes of human beings and thereby ruling the world' - where we are all encouraged to 'shop till we drop'; to 'seek solace in material possessions' - CB inevitably poses the question, 'Minority pathology or Mass problem?'. When 'all across the economically liberal world, the banks treated financial irresponsibility as a valuable commodity, cheap credit was everywhere', and it was a point of social pride to be able to say 'my credit card is so far into the red it's turning purple' - when 'consumers don't buy products so much as narratives...to self-identify as' - such 'identity seeking through consumption combines with a consumerist culture infrastructure...[as] an important dimension of compulsive buying'.