By Richard Reeve
A new dress or black sports car may bring temporary satisfaction, but experts say unhealthy spending behaviors can turn into an addiction and ultimately become destructive.
College students should be aware of the dangers of excessive spending, said Marleen Williams, a counselor at the BYU Counseling and Career Center.
The term shopaholics is a 'pop' definition that refers to individuals suffering from impulse control disorders by shopping, Williams said.
People suffering from addictive shopping habits are commonly referred to as shopaholics because it is not a clinical diagnosis, Williams said.
A recent study at Stanford University reported that 8 percent of American''s are shopaholics.
Shopaholics use shopping to cheer up and boost self-esteem, but the usual result is extreme guilt, Williams said.
Money spenders suffer from impulse control disorders, a group of psychological conditions, said Helga Dittmer, a consumer psychologist from the University of Sussex.
After days or weeks, tension builds in a person until he gives into the impulses by shopping and returns home relaxed, Dittmer said. Then the cycle repeats, she said.
'Impulse control disorders usually begin by the person experiencing tension, which is relieved by performing some other behavior, like pulling out hair, gambling or in this case, buying something you can''t really afford or don''t really need,' Williams said. 'They are agitations that need release.'
The number of Americans addicted to something has steadily increased since the 1960s, said Arnold Washington in his book, 'Willpower''s Not Enough.'
Addiction to such things as food, shopping and gambling may sound harmless at first, but the addiction becomes an end in itself, tyrannizing and controlling rather than enhancing a person''s life, Washington said.
Addicts like shopaholics try to hide underlying conditions that contribute to their addictive behavior, Williams said.
'The function of an addictive behavior, like shopping, is to hide a person''s real problem and keep it out of awareness,' Williams said. 'Shame and guilt usually play a role in perpetuating the behavior.'
Williams said a person stays involved in a behavior by minimizing the consequences.
The Stanford University study reported that nine out of ten shopaholics are women.
Demoyne Bekker, clinical professor and director of the Counseling and Career Center, said he is not surprised at the statistic.
Many women that are prone to become shopaholics are taught at a younger age that shopping makes them feel good, Bekker said.
'Society teaches women to look beautiful. And if they do so, society says they will be happy,' Bekker said.
Individuals that suffer from impulse control disorders need to solve underlying conditions in order to cure themselves, Williams said.
'Individuals must ask themselves, ''What thoughts surround this addictive behavior'' and ''What am I running away from?''' she said.
Williams said counselors help addicts meet needs in a realistic way.