Shopaholism

Never mind what husbands worldwide might think – is shopaholism a real-life mental disorder?

The answer is, maybe. If you happen to be German.

The condition, which is known to clinical types as oniomania, means the compulsive need to shop. It was first identified in Germany in 1915. Since then, it has been a topic of limited study until recent years. 

The German organization for obsessive-compulsive disorders, Deutsche Gesellschaft Zwangserkrankungen, recognizes oniomania as a full-fledged mental disorder. The American psychological firmament does not grant it that status, per se. While recognized as a problem, the condition carries a lesser designation of an impulse control disorder.  

Whatever its status in the hierarchy of mental disorders, the condition can present a real issue for a purse or a wallet. The destructive edge of the purchasing is what sets oniomania apart from regular heavy shopping.

Typically, a shopaholic goes through a cycle. A purchase is made during a period of stress or anger to relieve the downcast mood. A period of guilt follows at having spent so much. So once again in a down mood, the shopaholic goes to purchase another item and a cycle begins. Sometimes, to relieve the guilt, the purchases are eventually hidden or destroyed. 

Sufferers show signs of a frequent preoccupation with buying, irresistible, intrusive, or senseless impulses to buy; frequently buying unnecessary or unaffordable items; and shopping for longer periods of time than intended.  Shopaholics also tend to have a higher rate of other issues, such as anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, and impulse-control disorders.

Oniomania is, obviously, a cause of debt. Credit cards facilitate the purchasing, and when those bill come due, it can be an unwelcome experience. Defaulting on other loans can also be an associated problem.