From a psychological perspective, “shopaholism”, like bulimia and kleptomania, is a category of impulse control disorders.
The intrinsic cause of the shopping frenzy comes from the pathological possessiveness of the goods themselves. Some women, when they are confronted with a wide array of goods, stimulate a special inner urge to pay big bucks without thinking, even if the goods are useless to them or are repetitive purchases. If you see it and do not buy it, you will be blocked in your heart, but often buy it and then regret it. This impulse often evolves into inner guilt and anxiety.
The intrinsic root of shopaholic overshopping and irrational consumption also comes from external pressure. The modern society is demanding more and more from women, not only to look beautiful, learn and have a career, but also not to lose their traditional virtues, to be virtuous and meek, to teach their husbands and children, to support both parents and to run their marriages. Therefore, some female white-collar workers in the workplace face a lot of life and work pressure. And shopping becomes one of the channels for venting stress and negative emotions.
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Also, as female subordinates without the ability to control their own workload, there is no way to manipulate their own supervisors to bring pressure on themselves, or have a lot of things in their lives that they can’t do for themselves, putting them under a lot of pressure. This sense of helplessness makes some women extremely eager to control and grasp something inside. Shopping is a good fit for this psychological need. The shopping impulse is exacerbated by the self-exhibition provided by the mall, the attention and attention of the attendant, and the thrill of self-control when paying the bill.
When women find themselves with a shopaholic urge to buy, they may want to try other, more reasonable ways to vent their stress. For example, exercise and talking about it. Rogers, an American psychotherapist, said, “In times of extreme pain, confiding in someone is a form of subconscious therapy.” There are many ways to let off steam, for extroverted women can find a place to shout, or use a certain opportunity to create conflict with others, etc.; for introverted women can write their displeasure on paper and send it to a friend in a distant place.