Shopping Addiction Essay - 1765 Words

What Shopping Can Lead To What is shopping? Is shopping something we do for fun, for fashion, or to make us happy? Is shopping in our culture? Is shopping something we have learned from our parents, growing up? Shopping can be defined in many ways, but when does shopping become a problem? In â€Å"Shopping Spree, or Addiction† by Heather Hatfield, MD, she says â€Å"shopping can be one of America’s favorite past-times, but shopping can also lead to a self-destructive addiction that will cause financial disaster (1-2).† I’ll be going over two main factors, credit cards and the mall environment, that cause a shopping addiction, along with the type of illness, depression, that also causes a shopping addiction. I’ll also talk about the treatment†¦show more content†¦Take BMW for instance, their slogan is â€Å"The Ultimate Driving Machine.† This slogan tricks people into thinking that if they don’t own a BMW then whatever car they do own is not good enou gh. Other catchy slogans include Levi jeans, â€Å"You Walk a Little Taller in Levis† or Visa â€Å"Everywhere You Want to be.† Companies use these tactics to persuade people to spend and spend and spend, attracting the shopalcholics until individuals can’t spend any more. Nine million people in America suffer from shopoholism, and it’s more common in women. There have been studies conducted to see if addictions are genetic. â€Å"About 10%-15% may have a genetic predisposition to an addictive behavior† says Ruth Engs, MD (quoted in Hatifield 1). As reported by Dr. Adrienne Backer â€Å"There is a strong link between compulsive shopping and an inadequate maternal relationship (quoted in Futrelle).† Frequently the mother was depressed or absent emotionally causing the daughter to develop a low self-esteem, resulting in the daughter turning to shopping to feel happy (Futrelle). In reality people who have a shopping addiction are covering up a low self-esteem. Dr. Louise Chang who is a physician at Grady Memorial hospital states that the endorphins, dopamine, and naturally occurring opiate receptors get switched on in the brain, and people will feel a high that makes them feel good about themselves for that short amount of time while shopping. The causes of addictions and why addicts will continueShow MoreRelatedEssay about Effects of Shopping Addiction915 Words   |  4 PagesEffects of Shopping Addiction Shopping is a necessary part of life. We shop for food, clothing, cars, homes, or anything that may be a necessity to survive. If shopping is necessary, how can it also be an addiction? The answer is the same as with other addictions. According to Wikipedia, addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse dependency consequences or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. Oniomania, which is a Greek word meaning forRead MoreShopping Addiction Essay759 Words   |  4 PagesShopping addiction has been around for over 100 years. It plays major roles in many people lives today. Although we have learned more about the addiction not much has evolved or even changed about the disease or disorder that we know as a shopping addiction. Most of the people that suffer from this end up being normal everyday people just as you and I. This topic has evolved very little throughout the starting years in which it was presented. When the addiction first came to notice about a decadeRead MoreShopping Addiction Essay796 Words   |  4 Pages Shopping and buying have become an addiction, to consume increasingly of what is not needed. Consumers are compelled to shop and purchase items that are, for a brief time, marketed at a discounted rate. 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In one extreme (1997)  CincinnatiRead MoreTopshop Case Study2631 Words   |  11 Pageskey vision is to make buying at Topshop a complete experience and Topshop have succeeded in this with their flagship store in Oxford Street. No other high street retailer has ever put this into practice. The store offers an indulgent but youthful shopping experience with extra services such as the nail bar and cafà ©, blow dry bar, state of the art visuals which allows them to hold fashion shows and exhibitions in-store. A Free Personal style advisor in the luxury V IP changing areas are on hand to give