When I was younger, I had a shopping problem. In fact, I refer to myself as a reformed shopaholic, even though I was never diagnosed by a professional as having a shopping addiction.
It’s the constant buying that shopaholics get addicted to, whereas a regular shopper will feel happy taking an item home and putting it to good use.
This is why it was so problematic for me to tie my identity up with shopping. I felt like I wasn’t myself if I hadn’t shopped or wasn’t shopping.
The shopper’s high is real—so real that I used it to temporarily buffer feelings of low self-esteem, burnout and doubt. Whenever I’d feel bad about something, I’d use shopping as a way to cope.
This one is a red flag that so many people joke about. However, feeling the need to hide purchases from a spouse, family or co-workers is a sign that shopping is a problem in your life.
After the shopping high had faded, I’d often feel regret or guilt about my purchases. To hide the shame I felt, I overcompensated. I created a whole persona around loving shopping and loved to share my favourite saying: “You only live once. Buy the shoes!”