Shopping can be someone’s outlet of stress or how they cope with problems. Is this actually a form of therapy or do some use it just as an excuse? A recent study shows that a large number of americans have reported shopping to cheer themselves up or used it as a form of celebration. People find it therapeutic to shop and buy thing appealing to them that make them happy. While buying these things, one may be imagining how they will use their new purchase, where they will wear it, or what people will think when they see it. Retail therapy can also be a form of motivation, buying a suit for a new job or having enough money to make something happen. One man described his retail therapy as an “if I build it she will come.” By doing this he mean that he would shop for what he thought his future wife would want and want him to look like. Many may also look at shopping as preparation, easing anxiety. This could be preparation for a baby, a holiday, or even marriage. The more someone feels prepared, the less anxious they will be. So, in a way, shopping is healthy.
However, just as anything can become too much, retail therapy can go too far also. Someone can become addicted to shopping just as they can to drugs or alcohol, making things dangerous. People will become so obsessed with the satisfied feeling or high that they might get from shopping that they need to keep on doing it. Things cost money and when shopping is someones only form of stress relief, they can be spending too much. This can become an issue with credit and can even ruin relationships. This in turn can help nothing meaning the person may end up right where they left off. Maybe retail therapy is not the best kind of therapy.
I think it is very important to look at all since of this topic, but also consider the types of people who consider retail therapy their preferred form of therapy. I would take into consideration what gender, age, race, ethnicity and nationality the respondents are. It would be interesting to see if America, whom has some of the highest rates of depression, is one of those most likely to turn to retail therapy. That could be a base of an underlying problem in society. Just like anyone else, I love to shop and buying new things, especially thinking about where I might wear them next, but then after the adrenaline of replacing my closet is over, I realize how much money I just spent and on things that are probably quite trivial. Also, many americans currently live off welfare or another government funded program, but how many of these people are suffering from a shopping addiction? Just as stated previously, a shopping addiction could be as serious as a drug or alcohol addiction. Should be seriously be treating this as an addiction and offering help to people? Or is this just something to look past? According to this article, compulsory shopping is a serious mental problem that effects about six percent of Americans. Could this problem only continue in the future? This is a very interesting topic that definitely would benefit from more research
Interesting topic. I think we can all relate to the happiness we get from making certain purchases. I think you could have gone into more detail about the science of addiction and possibly offered a few more examples of studies or experiments done to prove this phenomenon, but it was an interesting topic and provided valid reasoning.
I just read another blog about shopaholics and how its a disease and now reading your blog about how it is comforting and relieves stress. Its funny because I think both of you are right. When your having a bad day or week, its fun to go out with your friends to the mall and buy a new pair of shoes. A harmless act of relieving stress. But if that “harmless stress reliever” turns into not being able to pay bills or taking money from parents then I can see where it can be a problem. But sometimes theres nothing wrong with a little day of shopping to make yourself feel better. Although it is not the best type of therapy, retail therapy is a real thing, because it does cheer people up.
This was an interesting topic to read about! Shopping too frequently or spending too much money all the time is not good for anyone. I think that shopping can be beneficial in cheering up yourself or someone else, but it is important to shop in moderation.
Here is the link to an article on some reasons why retail therapy can be good for you: http://business.time.com/2013/04/16/is-retail-therapy-for-real-5-ways-shopping-is-actually-good-for-you/
While retail therapy can help mend some saddened hearts, it could also burn a hole in your wallet if you rely on it as the only way to help cheer yourself up. Reporter Caitlyn Becker told HuffingtonPost.com that “if you keep shopping because you’re not getting the love you want and probably hiding it from your beloved, it will probably push your further apart and it becomes a vicious cycle.” Shopping can help every once in a while; however, if it becomes an addiction that is when it can become detrimental.