Shopping is one of America's favorite past times, but shopping addiction is a very real problem that can lead to financial ruin and destroy relationships.
"Friday Night Lights" author Buzz Bissinger recently detailed for GQ how his shopping addiction led him to spend more than $600,000 in three years.
Much like gambling, alcohol, and drug addictions, it's not easy to "fix" the problem, or even realize when there is one.
Terrence Shulman — the founder and director of The Shulman Center in Detroit, which treats compulsive theft, shopping, and hoarding — spoke with us about the danger of shopping addiction and some of the tell-tale signs that you should seek professional help.
You shop when you're feeling disappointed, angry, or scared.
Buying something new for yourself is fun. But when you're doing it whenever you're feeling a negative emotion just because it makes you feel better, that's a sign you could be addicted.
Source: The Shulman Center
Your spending habits create conflicts between you and someone close to you.
Shulman said: "A lot of people who are over-shopping are keeping it a secret from their family members, from their friends, and sometimes from their own husband or wife."
"There's a huge incentive to keep it secret because people are tired of arguing about money all the time or feel ashamed, so they open a new credit card account or hide the purchases," he added.
Source: The Shulman Center
You buy items with your credit cards that you wouldn't buy if you had to pay cash.
If you're spending money you don't have, it can lead to enormous credit card bills, bad credit, and financial ruin.
If you know this and are still purchasing beyond your means, that's another bad sign.
Source: The Shulman Center
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