For 32-year-old Neera, the weekend mall trips or online discount hunts were more than just leisure; they were a desperate escape. Juggling a demanding job, family, and home responsibilities, she felt lonely and boxed-in, having forgotten what true relaxation felt like. Her temporary solace? Maxing out credit cards on clothes she didn't need, wearing an item once before chasing the next purchase. This cycle continued until staggering financial debt forced her family to recognise a deeper, psychological condition at play.
Neera was battling a shopping addiction, a behavioural disorder where the act of buying provides a fleeting high to escape negative emotions and seek validation, closely mirroring substance addiction. The subsequent crash of guilt and financial despair often plunged her into depression, only to restart the harmful cycle for temporary relief.
What Exactly Is Shopaholism?
Clinically known as Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD), shopaholism is defined by a recurrent, irresistible urge to purchase items, often of little practical use or value. This behaviour is driven by negative emotional states and results in excessive, time-consuming retail activity that leads to significant personal, social, and financial difficulties.
It is classified as an impulse-control disorder, sharing notable neurobiological and behavioural similarities with non-substance addictions like gambling. To an outsider, it may seem like a simple lack of willpower or a love for luxury, but the individual is trapped in a vicious cycle where the purchase is rarely about the object itself.
The Vicious Cycle and Its Impact on the Brain
The compulsive buying cycle typically begins with antecedent feelings of anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, or boredom. A mounting tension is temporarily relieved by the act of shopping, creating a 'high' during the selection and payment process. This is swiftly followed by a 'crash' of intense guilt, shame, and financial worry, perpetuating the cycle.
Neurologically, shopaholism stimulates the brain's dopamine-based reward systems in a manner startlingly similar to psychoactive drugs. It frequently co-exists with other conditions like Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder.
Unlike substance abuse, CBD can remain a "hidden" disorder for years. Its fallout includes accruing debt, 'financial infidelity' (lying about spending), chronic shame, and social isolation. When shopping becomes the primary coping mechanism, it erodes the ability to handle life's stressors healthily, potentially leading to profound helplessness and even thoughts of self-harm.
Recognising the Signs and Finding a Path to Treatment
Key signs that indicate a need for help include: shopping thoughts interfering with work/social life, using shopping to 'fix' moods like sadness or anxiety, experiencing a 'high' followed by guilt, failed attempts to cut back, hiding purchases or receipts, buying unused items, and facing serious debt due to spending.
Treatment requires a multi-pronged approach. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is considered the gold standard, helping patients identify triggers and replace unhealthy behaviours. Some may benefit from medication, and support groups like Debtors Anonymous provide crucial peer understanding.
Practical steps for those struggling include: waiting for two days before completing any purchase, unsubscribing from retail newsletters and deleting shopping apps, and using cash-only to re-experience the 'psychological pain' of payment, which digital transactions often dull.
Recognising this behaviour as a cry for help is the first step toward healing. The solution lies in addressing the internal emotional void rather than filling the external closet, allowing individuals to reclaim not just their financial freedom, but their overall peace of mind.
As explained by Dr. Shaunak Ajinkya, a consultant psychiatrist at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, in December 2025.
