You've probably heard of compulsive buying, but what exactly is it? We're talking about an uncontrollable desire to buy things, objects, or anything that comes to mind at that moment. It's not a genuine need to buy items that are missing from the house, perhaps useful items that we don't actually have. compulsive buying causes and consequences: brief orientation note for the reader.
For a general definition see also compulsive buying disorder. For a conceptual contrast with automaticity, compare with Freudian slip.
In reality, most of the time, it's an uncontrollable impulse, a completely irrational and uncontrolled desire that leads us to make purchases without a fundamentally rational approach. What drives a person affected by this psychological disorder is a deep need related to a state of anxiety that they try to combat or neutralize with compulsive and totally irrational purchasing.
Is this a behavioral pattern associated with other hypothetical disorders? Yes, generally speaking, this problem is directly linked to problems affecting the ability of an individual, whether male or female, to control certain impulses. It's also a disorder that can easily be associated with behavioral addictions.
The most characteristic feature of this disorder is the frequency with which the individual engages in impulsive behavior. These are not sporadic episodes that occur relatively infrequently, but rather episodes that are consistent over time.
The affected person clearly feels an irresistible impulse to make purchases. However, these aren't real needs, or objects that are actually missing and an integral part of the person's daily life.
In reality, these are irrational and pointless purchases, often involving an object, a piece of clothing, or something else that the person already owned.
Although the subject often knows and realizes that the purchased objects are completely useless, they still can't rationalize it all. At that precise moment, they are gripped by that desire, that urge to make a purchase, and the meaning boils down to this.
The ultimate goal isn't so much tied to purchasing a desired object; the meaning of what the subject does is dictated by the need to satisfy that irrational desire, which manifests itself as the urge to buy. Therefore, while the person recognizes the uselessness of the purchase they are about to make, they still can't rationalize it all and must necessarily proceed with the purchase.
A person suffering from this problem frequently recurs irrational purchasing and behavior. However, this behavior, unfortunately, is not without consequences. These problems can affect both the individual's psychological well-being and other aspects as well.
The consequences, over time, are felt financially. Indeed, spending unmediated by rationality, a compulsive purchase unchecked by the more concrete and rational part of each of us, inevitably creates financial consequences.
Indeed, the budget available to a person is not unlimited but is, in fact, strongly conditioned by their income.
Having no control over the impulse to buy creates a real financial problem. People no longer spend based on their income, limiting expenses to the most important and essential items, but spend in a completely uncontrolled manner.
This will create financial problems over time. Especially if purchases are made with a credit card, the individual will have no control over their income and outgoings.
To the point that, when they are no longer able to pay for the items purchased, they may find themselves facing serious liquidity problems with their credit institution. Similarly, if they have purchased in installments and are no longer able to pay for their purchases, they will find themselves in serious financial difficulty, which could clearly translate into legal problems.
The deterioration isn't just financial; it also affects one's social relationships. Over time, friends, relatives, and close friends will begin to notice that something isn't right in the person's life.
It doesn't take long to realize that the house is cluttered with objects and purchases of various kinds that one no longer knows where to put or that perhaps have no practical use.
To date, modern science has not yet been able to provide a univocal criterion for defining this irrational approach that leads a person to spend and buy without any kind of control. However, it is possible to identify a series of behaviors and episodes that make the problem clearer. Let's see what they are:
In a specific initial phase, the individual with this psychological profile, based on irrational and uncontrolled purchasing of objects, begins to experience and perceive emotions that are triggered before the purchase itself.
These are unpleasant emotions that the individual experiences even before making purchases, such as sadness, anxiety, fear, boredom, and anger. These feelings may be associated with others, such as a sense of urgency, which may be related to the act of purchasing in general or perhaps tied to a single object.
The second phase is the planning phase, in which the individual tends to construct a mental path that will then be used to carry out the purchase at a later stage. They will then become interested in and evaluate which specific store to visit to make the purchase.
This disorder therefore presents itself and manifests itself according to specific criteria. Before purchasing, the individual is prey to emotional states with strong negative connotations, such as sadness, depression, and anxiety.
After the purchase, at least initially, feelings of euphoria and satisfaction dominate the individual. However, the joy of the moment is destined to pass quickly; in fact, following the purchase, the individual will experience feelings such as guilt and frustration.
The substantial difference from a person making a normal purchase is the perception of the actual usefulness of the purchased object. In contrast, those suffering from this condition buy useless things or things they already have that do not correspond to a true desire.
The person suffering from this problem understands and realizes that their behavior is irrational and out of control, despite trying to regain rationality.
Further details on compulsive buying causes and consequences are summarized in the sections below.
An uncontrollable and irrational urge to purchase itemsâoften unnecessary or already ownedâused to modulate inner states such as anxiety or tension.
Yes. It can be associated with impulse-control difficulties and behavioral addictions, as described in the article.
Spending detached from oneâs income can cause liquidity problems and, in some cases, legal issues when payments cannot be maintained.
Before purchasing, unpleasant emotions prevail (sadness, anxiety, fear, boredom, anger). During and after, brief euphoria and gratification appear, followed by guilt and frustration.
Planning the purchase (store, object, payment), the act of buying driven by urge, and the subsequent disillusionment, in line with the narrative.
For a perspective on slips and automatic phenomena, see the FAQ in Freudian slip.
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