Compulsive shopping: from everyday act to behavioral addiction
Summary
In a society where shopping is synonymous with well-being, status, and success, the line between pleasure and dependence can become blurred. Compulsive shopping, also known as shopping addiction, is a behavior that goes beyond excessive consumption and, like other behavioral addictions, involves a loss of control , an emotional need to buy, and subsequent feelings of guilt or discomfort.
From functional consumption to emotional impulse
Shopping is part of modern life, although the current environment makes it easier for this behavior to become problematic. Marketing campaigns, easy credit, and the constant availability of products online create an ecosystem that promotes impulsive consumption (Zhang et al., 2021). Some well-known online shopping platforms use gamification techniques—random discounts, notifications, visual rewards—that stimulate reward circuits, similar to those activated in other addictions. “Winning a deal” can become more gratifying than the product itself. The immediacy, one-click payment, and privacy of the digital environment lower rational barriers, making shopping an escape from anxiety, sadness , or emotional emptiness.
The use of digital environments: concerns and challenges
How to detect compulsive buying?
The most common signs include:
- Increased time and money spent on shopping.
- Guilt or shame after the purchase.
- Accumulation of unused objects.
- Lies or secrecy regarding spending.
- Irritability if it cannot be bought.
- Economic problems or family conflicts resulting from consumption.
In these cases, the purchase ceases to be a rational act and becomes an automatic emotional response (Otero-López et al., 2022).
Compulsive buying goes beyond excessive consumption and involves loss of control, the emotional need to buy, and the subsequent appearance of guilt or discomfort.
Regarding the diagnostic consensus
Compulsive buying does not yet appear as an independent diagnosis in the main clinical manuals. Neither the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association (2022), nor the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) (World Health Organization, 2023), recognizes it as an addiction, although the latter includes it within impulse control disorders, as another specified impulse control disorder.
However, current scientific literature tends to consider it a behavioral addiction due to its similarities with pathological gambling or problematic internet use: salience or attentional focus, presence of craving or intense desire to perform the behavior, tolerance, psychological withdrawal, and relapses (Vasiliu et al., 2022; Thomas et al., 2023; Müller et al., 2023), thus demonstrating the reward-guilt-relapse cycle. Nevertheless, in both the case of compulsive shopping and internet use in its various applications, the therapeutic goal will not be absolute and indefinite abstinence, as is the case with gambling disorder, but rather the relearning of the behavior from a position of greater control over it.
Alex
Treatment and recovery
Some studies estimate the prevalence of compulsive buying at between 6% and 7% of the population, reaching up to 11% in adolescents (Fernández-Aranda et al., 2019; Adamczyk et al., 2024). Although historically described as more frequent in women, gender differences are less clear when studied in the general population. Some psychological variables most associated with this problem include low self-esteem, chronic stress or anxiety, impulsivity, and a family history of addiction or mood disorders (Nori et al., 2022; Rocha et al., 2023).
The immediacy, one-click payment, and privacy of the digital environment make shopping an escape from anxiety, sadness, or emotional emptiness.
Regarding treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) currently has the strongest scientific evidence base (Vasiliu et al., 2022; Müller et al., 2023). Similar to other behavioral addictions, the following is essential:
- Understanding the impulse-relief-guilt cycle.
- Identify dysfunctional thoughts.
- Apply self-control strategies.
- Having rewarding alternative activities.
- Train emotional regulation skills.
Social awareness and prevention
Shopping addiction is far from being merely an individual mental health problem, as the current consumerist model, which often equates personal worth with purchasing power, acts as a collective risk factor. Additionally, accessibility to digital shopping platforms is another key element, just as it is with other behavioral addictions such as pornography or online sex platforms and online casinos. Promoting emotional and financial literacy from an early age, teaching children to identify digital marketing strategies , and destigmatizing the search for psychological help are key steps to reducing its impact (Plan de Drogues i Addiccions Comportamentals, 2019–2023).
Compulsive shopping is a silent addiction: it disguises itself as a normal habit and thrives on the digital environment. Recognizing its signs, talking about it without guilt, and seeking professional support can break the cycle of impulse and help you regain control. It's not about stopping shopping altogether, but about returning to it with freedom and balance.
