Everyone has experienced a craving or an uncontrollable impulse. It's an internal urge driving you to eat that chocolate or buy that impulse item you really don't need but looks great right now. Most people cave to their impulses for the moment but regain control soon. For people who suffer from compulsive buying, their craving to purchase something goes far deeper than a simple impulse buy and has far-reaching consequences.
Definition
Clinically called compulsive buying disorder, or CBD, it is a recognized disorder by the World Psychiatric Association as well as other leading mental health organizations. It is often categorized with impulse control disorders and frequently co-exists within the sufferer alongside depression, anxiety and personality disorders. CBD is identified as a chronic, repetitious desire to purchase anything. For some it is simply a desire to purchase any good or service; for others, it may be a desire for specific items, such as clothing or jewelry.
Causes
Exact causes are unknown, but a study by Thomas C. O'Guinn and colleagues, titled "A Clinical Screener for Compulsive Buying," published in 1992 in the "Journal of Consumer Research," revealed many compulsive buyers suffer from low self-esteem, may fantasize frequently, experience a higher incidence of depression, and have problems with anxiety and other obsessions. CBD may also run in families, and within those families there is a high incidence of substance abuse as well as anxiety disorders. A sufferer's desire to improve her self-esteem and interpersonal relationships appears to be the primary motivator rather than a desire to own things.
Consequences
According to the Compulsive Buying Disorder website, if left untreated a CBD sufferer can incur huge debt, poor credit scores and legal problems and possibly exhibit symptoms of compulsive hoarding. Over time these can lead to divorce and even suicide attempts, which further feeds the psychological deficit that may be causing the compulsive buying.
Prevalence
It's been often assumed that sufferers of compulsive buying disorder were primarily women. According to MedicalNewsToday.com, for years it was believed that between 2 and 16 percent of the U.S. population had CBD and of those, 90 percent were women. In a study conducted by Lorrin M. Koran, M.D., and colleagues, which was published in October 2006 in the "American Journal of Psychiatry," researchers found that out of more than 2,500 people surveyed, 6 percent of women and 5.5 percent of men fit the criteria for CBD.
Treatment
Currently there are no formal treatments in place for CBD that are based on studies. Most treatment focuses on antidepressants as well as group therapy, which has found some success. Also effective are groups such as Debtors Anonymous, financial counseling and marriage counseling, according to an article, titled "A Review of Compulsive Buying Disorder," in the February 2007 issue of "World Psychiatry."
References
- Compulsive Buying Disorder: Treatment of Compulsive Buying
- "American Journal of Psychiatry"; Prevalence of Compulsive Buying Behavior in the United States; Lorrin M. Koran, M.D., et al.; October 2006
- "World Psychiatry"; A Review of Compulsive Buying Disorder; Donald W. Black; February 2007
- Medical News Today: Compulsive Buying: No Gender Difference Stanford Study Shows
