We all have felt the exhilaration and euphoric feeling when standing in a line-up to purchase an expensive item that you have being wishing for. Most of us however can relate to a sudden twinge of anxiety and guilt when that card is approved, the money has been taken out of your account and you are walking out of the store saying “did I really need this”. The occurrence of this scenario generally occurs close to pay day and is what I like to call our “inner financial conscious”. Would you believe me if I told you that there are people that exist who can’t control their urge to buy and as a result suffer from serve psychological and financial problems? Such people do exist and suffer from a mental disorder known as Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) (Wikipedia, 2010).
CBD is characterized by the compulsive desire to shop, and it meets the criteria for an axis II disorder (personality disorder) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (Wikipedia, 2010). Black (2007) states that CBD involves excessive shopping cognition's and buying behaviors that leads to stress and impairment. He also notes that “subjects with CBD report preoccupation with shopping, pre-purchase tension or anxiety, and a sense of relief following the purchase” (Black 2007). Black (2007) illustrates that there are indeed four distinct stages of CBD: 1) anticipation; 2) preparation; 3) shopping; and 4) spending. People with CBD generally shop alone and are more concerned with quantity rather than price and quality of items (Black, 2007). In addition, Black (2007) found that the most commonly purchased items include clothing, shoes, jewellery, cosmetics, and household items. Studies have shown that people suffering from CBD feel like they are out of control and as a result suffer from financial debt and problems (Black, 2007).
Alarmingly CBD is found in 5.8% of the American population, and of this statistic 80% are presumed to be women (Wikipedia, 2010). In a past Oprah Winfrey Show this statistic came to life when numerous house wives were confronted about their excessive buying habits and financial debt. I was unable to find the video clip online however I recall these women saying that engaging in such behaviors gave them a sense of power and identity and it defined who they were. Using the feminist perspective it can be argued that such women feel subordinate in the home and thus seek power and control in the behavior of shopping. Shopping is generally a chore performed by the women in the house rather than the man. Black (2007) attributed this to the fact that “women acknowledge that they enjoyed shopping whereas men were more likely to report that they ‘collect’". If a woman is feeling helpless, bored, and unappreciated in the home she may suffer from psychological distress and depression and may seek a behavior that elates her out of that state of mind. It can be argued that because men financially support the family institution, the woman in the household may feel that it is her obligation to purchase the family nice possessions thus enabling an addiction.
I found a video clip by Dr. Marc Kern (2008) who states that compulsive shopping is caused by the physiological perk of buying something that you want. There is a biochemical change that elicits a burst of positive feelings that removes pain or despair and is predictable (Kern, 2008). Perhaps the feminist view to combat CBD through physiological stimulation would be to provide such women with activities and social services that would stimulate similar positive feelings and hormones. "Mom's Group" is an example of a support group in Brandon whereby women get together and it is a great chance to interact with other women. Another example would be arranging to participate in a hot yoga class. The exercise would release endorphins and raise cortisol levels (or the feel good hormone). Perhaps by keeping busy with healthier behaviors, people suffering from CBD may be less inclined to shop.
In conclusion, although some services exist I would like to see more support groups and help for the homemaker. As my friend with five children says "when Mamma's not happy, no body's happy" and I think that the mental health of a mother should be at the top priority for both the family and for the larger social welfare. I also think that in addition to services and activities I propose that the women’s sense of wealth must be felt by the people that surround her and not by the objects that surround her. In addition to a caring social environment Black (2007) proposes that psychopharmacological treatment studies and group cognitive-behavioral therapy have been used as a form of treatment for CBD. He also notes that Debtors Anonymous, financial counselling, and marital and family counselling help in the role of managing a CBD (Black, 2007). Feminists have been advocating for years and it is the responsibility of women who feel oppressed in the family or work institution to recognize internal problems that may externally displayed in such outlets as spending behavior. This is an demonstration of one of the many mental disorders faced by women today. Action needs to be taken for these women to feel a sense of value in themselves and not in the value they spend.
~ Tara
References
Black, D. (2007, February). A review of compulsive buying disorder. World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatry Association (WPA), 6(1), 14-18. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1805733/
Kern, M. (2008). What causes shopping addition [Video file]. Retrieved November 2, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWeSiBE7kg4
Wikipedia. (2010). Compulsive Buying Disorder. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopping_addiction
Very interesting post! I had never heard of this condition before, and I think you raise some interesting points. The fact that the majority of women are the ones who suffer from CBD is probably a pretty good indicator there are bigger structural problems contributing to this. I think the media also plays a big role in CBD. Women are constant seeing images that promote success as a new purse, new shoes or the latest mascara, and I agree with you that women need to be told they are worth more than what they look like or what they have if this is going to be fixed.
ReplyDelete-Erin Roche
Tara, your blog intrigued me. In your blog you mentioned the anxiety people feel when awaiting an 'approval' from a particular card. During the course ‘Family Management’ our class was required to read an article about financial debt. Similarly, it discussed the differences people feel when paying with a card in comparison to paying with cold, hard, cash. The article inferred that when paying with cash one can associate negative feelings towards spending with the difference, or lack, of physical money left over. Contrastingly, when someone uses a card of some sort they do not apply as much of a negative feeling as they would if they could see the money in front of them. Therefore, other factors contributing to CBD, such as credit card use should be acknowledged when working with people who suffer from this disorder.
ReplyDelete-Brooke Davison
Very interesting idea for a post. I would have never thought of this approach. I have heard of CBD and as you suggested in your introduction many people may have had that feeling. I know I have.
ReplyDeleteI was not at all surprised that 80% of the 5.8% of americans are women who suffer for CBD. Tehre is a stigma attached to the american housewife of taking care of the children and spending all the husbands' money. The media portrays this. With all of the reality shows that have become a phenomenon in the past few years, there is a series of shows that focuses on the housewifes of successful business men in america or sports stars. The women are portrayed to shop at the most expensive stores and socialize while their husband is at work. Would this sort of entertainment not make the addiction worse for those women who are in financial distress due to CBD?
Dana W
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI find CBD an interesting subject that probably deserves further research, on a larger scale. One must presume that this is a problem that affects the middle/upper class, but I wonder in what ratio. You mentioned that "it can be argued that because men financially support the family institution, the woman in the household may feel that it is her obligation to purchase the family nice possessions thus enabling an addiction." I have never thought of it in this manner, but one can see how you could subconsciously draw that conclusion, and how it could become very easy to spend without a limit. Another issue that was discussed in response to your post was the use of credit cards compared with using cash. The banks allow outrageous borrowing power, completely unreasonable within a person’s income that can permit women to spend money they do not have. It would also be interesting to compare the occurrence of CBD in married women to single women because I am sure that it is diagnosed in both cases. Overall, a very thought provoking post, and I really enjoyed learning some of the particulars around a CBD diagnosis.
- Darcie
Very interesting post Tara! I have heard about this shopping disorder before, and I think I recall what Oprah episode you are referring to as she has had a couple of times women coming on her show to talk about their compulsive spending habits.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a really good point about how women feel upset or depressed about how things are in the household (that they are known to maintain) and need the feeling of satisfaction again. This is probably common for many women, especially mothers who need that relief or feeling they have done something good for themselves and their household that they are buying the shopping items for.
I'm sure this condition is over looked a lot of the time as many people don't think that compulsive shopping is a mental disorder as it's what women are known to do. I can see many people not taking this disability serious either because it deals with shopping, known to be a common hobby for many people around the world.
-Jessica VL
Hello Tara, I really found your blog interesting! I have heard of CBD before but not to the extent that you explained it. There are more individuals with CBD then I figured there would be. I think you did a good job on this blog and I agree that women do face oppression in their private spheres and that more mothers’ groups and services need to be provided for these women who are often the center of their families.
ReplyDeleteNicole G
Hey Tara,
ReplyDeleteI actually have wondered a lot about compulsive buying disorder and hoarding as to the causes. I sometimes wonder if these are society driven disorders and are like an extreme manifestation of capitalist ideals. Like the old saying- keeping up with the Joneses, do we look to everyone else to determine what we should buy? With the way the Western world is obsessed with an always growing economy, I think its no surprise that some people could internalize the need to consume goods.
David. H.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I wasn't aware that Compulsive Buying was actually a disorder. In your first paragraph, I couldnt believe how great you matched it up with how we feel when we buy something. I have seen a show on Slice television network a few times where some women have problems controlling their urge to buy. Mostly younger women with their parents giving them the money or paying off their credit cards. I do wonder though, is this just a phase or is this a disorder that stays with you for a lifetime?
ReplyDeleteTiffany
Consumerism has taken a hold of the Canadian society. Wants have now become needs. Compulsive buying disorder is not an individual problem it is a social problem. The Oxford Dictionary of English defines consumerism as the preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods which sounds a lot like compulsive buying disorder. Companies hire psychologists to figure out how to take advantage of how the human brain works but naturally some humans are greedy. We must fight gluttony. Greed is the downfall of society and eventually will be the downfall of Earth. I applaud all who can resist the need to consume unnecessarily because I know how hard it is to remain grounded in our consumer driven society.
ReplyDeleteJessica N.