COPING MECHANISMS REFERENCES

Develop new hobbies

Most people compulsively shop turn to shopping when they are bored or stressed. Find a healthier replacement.

Stick to a list

Make a list of what you specifically need & stick with it.

Enlist a person

Try enlisting a friend to keep you accountable when going to the store. If possible, have another member in your household be responsible to shop for the essentials needed for the house.

Pay in cash

Give yourself cash allowance and put credit cards away, cash used for emergencies only. You will less likely to spend more if you have limited amount of cash in your wallet.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Effectively reduce symptoms by helping people identify the ways people use shopping as a coping mechanism and develop healthier coping skills.

Selective Serotonin Re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Mediation may be used to manage symptoms of underlying mental illness and control unwanted or intrusive thoughts about shopping.

Treatment centers

There are treatment centers available to break you spending habits in a controlled environment. These centers treat behavioral addictions with inpatient rehab and outpatient counseling.

Support groups dealing with compulsive buying behaviors

Support groups or sponsors that can help guide you. Finding those who have struggles with addiction could make a significant difference in your recovery. (debtorsanonymous.org)

Individual therapy

Counseling services are available for all varieties of addiction and mental health disorders. One on one services offer personalized treatment to help you get on track.

DOAN, Semra. “How Conscious Is a Compulsive Buyer? A Case Study.” Optimum Ekonomi ve Yönetim Bilimleri Dergisi 9, no. 1 (2022): 15-36.

Darrat, Aadel Ali, Mahmoud Ali Darrat, and Mohamad Ali Darrat. “Does wanting more lead to losing control? Examining the psychological drivers of compulsive buying.” Young Consumers 24, no. 1 (2023): 56-73.

Díez, Dominica, Núria Aragay, Mercè Soms, Gemma Prat, Pere Bonet, and Miquel Casas. “Women with compulsive buying or gambling disorder: Similar profiles for different behavioural addictions.” Comprehensive Psychiatry 87 (2018): 95-99.

DOAN, Semra. “How Conscious Is a Compulsive Buyer? A Case Study.” Optimum Ekonomi ve Yönetim Bilimleri Dergisi 9, no. 1 (2022): 15-36.

Gallagher, Catherine E., Margo C. Watt, Angela D. Weaver, and Keely A. Murphy. ““I fear, therefore, I shop!” Exploring anxiety sensitivity in relation to compulsive buying.” Personality and Individual Differences 104 (2017): 37-42.

Harnish, Richard J., K. Robert Bridges, Rajan Nataraajan, Joshua T. Gump, and Alicia E. Carson. “The impact of money attitudes and global life satisfaction on the maladaptive pursuit of consumption.” Psychology & Marketing 35, no. 3 (2018): 189-196.

Moulding, Richard, Annie Duong, Maja Nedeljkovic, and Michael Kyrios. “Do you think that money can buy happiness? A review of the role of mood, materialism, self, and cognitions in compulsive buying.” Current Addiction Reports 4 (2017): 254-261.

Zhang, Chenshu, Judith S. Brook, Carl G. Leukefeld, Mario De La Rosa, and David W. Brook. “Compulsive buying and quality of life: An estimate of the monetary cost of compulsive buying among adults in early midlife.” Psychiatry research 252 (2017): 208-214