Experts Believe Online Shopping Addiction Is A mental Health Condition
ONLINE SHOPPING ADDICTION – A psychotherapist claimed that online shopping addiction is an unrecognized mental condition.
Dr. Müller, a psychotherapist at Hannover Medical School in Germany, along with her colleagues, did a study with 122 patients. Each one of them were seeking help for their online shopping addiction.
Based on their study, they discovered that those with addiction had higher rates of depression and anxiety. They believe that the addiction is attributed to the rise of online stores.
Adding to this, convenient apps and home delivery has added a new way for shopaholics to get their fix. Online shops are always open, therefore shoppers could indulge anytime, anyplace.
Along with this, online stores are oftentimes cheaper than physical stores. This gives customers better accessibility at an affordable price.
This led to the younger people showing signs of buying-shopping disorder (BSD). Researchers believe that this condition affects 5% of the population.
BSD has been noted for decades. However, according to an article from Unilad, it still falls under the category of “other specified impulse control disorder.”
Although, Dr. Müller and her team are convinced that the condition is evolving with the internet age. In a journal, they explained how BSD affects individuals.
They stated that buying, especially online, results in a loop of cravings for buying things and satisfaction when spending money. With this, the cravings lead to a breakdown in self-control.
This is then followed by “extreme distress” and other psychiatric problems. Adding to this, the disorder could also lead to difficulties in relations, debt, and physical clutter.
The symptoms of BSD included preoccupation with shopping for unneeded items, difficulty resisting purchasing unnecessary items, and financial difficulties due to uncontrolled shopping.
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