:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/653OILOFOFCYLO4GWMLU6NKH2I.jpeg?w=1440&resize=1440,960&ssl=1)
It’s two in the morning and you’re still filling your ‘cart’ with Shein, Temu either amazon? Have you ever wondered why instead of sleeping, you have the urge to buy items you don’t really need? The answer could be in a disorder called oniomaniaor as it is also known, compulsive buyer syndrome.
We have all had at some point uncontrollable desire to buy somethingto the extent that we can experience anxiety by not having that object that we want so much, or, a feeling of temporary euphoria when we finally get it.
Currently, purchasing any product (even groceries) is as easy as clicking on your favorite app, without having to go to a physical store. However the pleasure of shopping can quickly become a severe psychological dependence.
What is oniomania and what are its symptoms?
The oniomania is the term used in psychology to describe those who have a obsession with spending money and a insatiable need to buy thingswhich is part of the group of impulse control disorders.
Gabriela Orozco Calderón, professor at the Faculty of Psychology at UNAMpoints out that this addictive behavior “It represents one of the most serious current problems, since socially and culturally it is promoted to have material goods and a status that makes us feel like better people, even more attractive.”
The academic explains that oniomania is very similar neurobiologically to gambling addiction, that is, the inability to abstain and stop gambling. He added that as part of the diagnosis, specialists detect some “symptoms” or indications of this disorder, mainly:
- intrusive thoughts (involuntary and that become an obsession) by going to buy objects that are not needed.
- And constant anxiety to acquire (since by getting what they want, the pleasant sensation decreases).
What causes oniomania and how do I know if I am a compulsive buyer?
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/653OILOFOFCYLO4GWMLU6NKH2I.jpeg)
A “shopping addict” You can end up spending the fortnight’s money or all your savings in just a few minutes, thanks to the ease that mobile applications give us.
Furthermore, sometimes there is a guilty feelingeither because you made a purchase that was not really necessary or because by making it, you have become a new debt that it will take a long time to pay, which can lead to suffering from depression and stress.
At the brain level, there is cognitive alterations on the individual that also harm their decision making.
“This function is found in the prefrontal portion of the brain, which includes neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. In the case of those affected, the substances do not work efficiently,” explains Orozco Calderón.
The academic indicated that this behavior can occur as a response to negative emotions such as revenge and boredomwhich tend to be more accentuated at the end of the year holidays.
How to stop being addicted to shopping? This is how you can treat this syndrome
“A normal person feels pleasure when purchasing a product because they have had to raise the money to obtain it, but in a person who is shopaholic It is more complicated,” the researcher warned.
In the case of oniomania, affected by this disorder They constantly feel anxious about purchasing products, but when they obtain them the pleasant sensation decreases, so they finally end up returning what they buy or storing it without using it.
If you think that you or someone you know shows signs of this pathological disease, It is advisable to go to a psychiatristwho will usually prescribe medications such as citalopram or naltrexone to level out the substances in the brain.
In addition, it is also advisable to take a “cognitive behavioral therapy to generate emotional awareness and strategies that limit impulsive buying behavior.” People with this problem can also go to the Faculty of Psychology where there is an addiction care center.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/653OILOFOFCYLO4GWMLU6NKH2I.jpeg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=Why+do+I+shop+more+at+night%3F++Symptoms+of+oniomania%2C+the+addiction+that+causes+stress+and+debt+%E2%80%93+El+Financiero){kind=link}