Lifestyle / Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: Help! I Can’t Stop Shopping!

Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: Help! I Can’t Stop Shopping!

Lifestyle Feb 07, 2023

by Dr. Monica Vermani

We continue our series where Dr. Monica Vermani answers questions about live, love and everything in between.

Dr. Monica Vermani is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in treating trauma, stress and mood & anxiety disorders, and the founder of Start Living Corporate Wellness. She is a well-known speaker, columnist and advocate in the field of mental health and wellness. Her book, A Deeper Wellness, is now available on Amazon, and her in-depth online self-help program, A Deeper Wellness, offers powerful mental health guidance, life skills, knowledge and healing, anywhere, anytime.

Dear Dr. Monica,

I’m a closet shopper … and I’m running out of room to store the shoes and clothes I’m buying but don’t need. I feel great when I buy something new, but that feeling quickly vanishes and is replaced by the reality that I am overspending on things I already have! Any advice on how to curb my urge to acquire more and more?

Signed, Ready To Drop

Dear Ready,

Many people find shopping pleasant and enjoyable and can separate their wants from their needs. But for some — and it seems like you’ve slipped into this group — shopping behaviors can become problematic.

As some people turn to alcohol, drugs, or food to distract from anxiety and stress, some people shop to take the edge off. Just like the habitual use of substances, relying on shopping to numb unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings can also become problematic. It can make us vulnerable to buying things we cannot afford, and leave us deeply in debt.

Ask Dr. Monica: Help! I Am Spending Too Much Money! — **Ask Dr. Monica: Help! I Am Spending Too Much Money: Just like the habitual use of substances, relying on shopping to numb unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings can also become problematic.** Photo Credit: www.unsplash.com

To break free from your problematic shopping, start by becoming familiar with the triggers that lead you to shop for things you don’t need. When you start to recognize to the thoughts, moods, settings, and sensations that set off your urge to shop, you begin to build awareness around your uncomfortable, uneasy, or distressing feelings. With awareness and self-compassion, over time you can find ways to replace negative shopping behaviors with activities that bring you a sense of calmness, well-being, and joy.

If your shopping has already caused financial problems, address these problems head-on. Separate your must-haves from your wants. Create a budget and start paying down your accumulated debt. And if you are struggling to curb your problematic shopping on your own, go outside yourself and seek the help of a mental health professional, who can provide you with strategies and tools to understand and conquer your problematic behavior.

I wish you the best on your journey from ready to drop to ready to change!

Main Image Photo Credit: www.unsplash.com

Dr. Monica Vermani

Author

Dr. Monica Vermani is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in treating trauma, stress, mood & anxiety disorders and is the founder of Start Living Corporate Wellness. Her book, A Deeper Wellness, is coming out in 2021. www.drmonicavermani.com

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Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: Help! I Can’t Stop Shopping!

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Dr. Monica Vermani

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