{"id":86,"date":"2010-11-15T07:00:11","date_gmt":"2010-11-15T07:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/movingbeyondaddiction\/2010\/11\/shopping-addiction-how-do-you-know-when-you-have-reached-your-bottom.html"},"modified":"2010-11-15T07:00:11","modified_gmt":"2010-11-15T07:00:11","slug":"shopping-addiction-how-do-you-know-when-you-have-reached-your-bottom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thecelebritytherapist\/2010\/11\/shopping-addiction-how-do-you-know-when-you-have-reached-your-bottom.html","title":{"rendered":"Shopping Addiction: How do you Know When you Have Reached your Bottom?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was helping someone today move out of her apartment and
\ncould not believe how much clothes she accumulated.  <\/span>I wondered if it was because shopping filled
\nan empty void for her as she trudged through a bad relationship.  <\/span>I started to wonder when does one cross the
\nline into a shopping addiction?  <\/span><\/p>\n

I discovered that one in 12 people in the United States
\nstruggle with what is known as oniomania or what the more common term,  <\/span>“shopaholic.”<\/p>\n

Some of the symptoms you might look for if you think you
\nhave this disorder include:<\/p>\n

1.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Suffering from another addiction in the past
\nsuch as substance abuse, gambling, sex or love addiction, food, or
\nco-dependency and crossing over to becoming a shopaholic.<\/p>\n

2.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Maxing out credit cards and not paying normal bills
\nand expenses.<\/p>\n

3.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Have several jobs to pay off the debts.<\/p>\n

4.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Having a closet full of clothes that has never
\nbeen worn.<\/p>\n

As you may know, sometimes a shopaholic or any addict has to
\nreach rock bottom before they seek help. 
\n<\/span>You can find a 12 step meetings for compulsive shopping, seek a
\npsychotherapist, or see a life coach who specializes in recovery.  <\/span>My book The Law of <\/a>Sobriety covers all addictions;
\nno matter what they are; even compulsive shopping.<\/p>\n

The first thing you do is to admit and acknowledge you have
\na problem.<\/p>\n

1.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Always shop with others.<\/p>\n

2.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Join a 12 step group.<\/p>\n

3.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Talk thru the purchase and see if you will feel
\nguilt or remorse after you buy it.<\/p>\n

4.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Learn how to be comfortable in your dis-comfort.<\/p>\n

5.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Learn to breathe and live in the moment.<\/p>\n

6.      
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Prevent a relapse by staying away from malls,
\ninternet shopping, or catalogs. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I often see individuals cross in to other addictions time
\nafter time.  <\/span>There is help out there so
\nseek it out if you believe your shopping has crossed the line into addiction.  <\/span>Often the void can be filled with a higher power
\nand understanding of what is going on beneath the layers of the addiction.  <\/span>What trauma are you avoiding?  <\/span>What void are you trying to fill up with
\nshopping?  <\/span>The answers are there if you
\njust listen and seek assistance to help you get through your pain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was helping someone today move out of her apartment and could not believe how much clothes she accumulated.  I wondered if it was because shopping filled an empty void for her as she trudged through a bad relationship.  I started to wonder when does one cross the line into a shopping addiction?  I discovered…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":402,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-addiction"],"yoast_head":"\nShopping Addiction: How do you Know When you Have Reached your Bottom? - The Celebrity Therapist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thecelebritytherapist\/2010\/11\/shopping-addiction-how-do-you-know-when-you-have-reached-your-bottom.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shopping Addiction: How do you Know When you Have Reached your Bottom? 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