What is compulsive buying?
It is also called oniomania, shopping addiction or compulsive shopping. This disorder characterized by unscrupulous buying usually with use of several of a lot of credit cards and landing in serious financial difficulty which usually leads to bankruptcy. There is as such no diagnostic category of compulsive buying in both two recognised manuals of ICD 10 and DSM-4.
The proposed
criteria for this disorder equate it with impulse control disorder in which
there is mounting tension to do the wrong work with anticipatory relief from
anxiety.
The patient's time is frequently occupied with buying or urge to buy. This urges are irresistible. The
buying is of the amount which cannot be afforded. The items bought are usually
not needed. There is marked distress, time consumption and socio occupational
dysfunction. The diagnosis is made when there is no other associated physical
or mental disorder.
This disorder
occurs in about 2% of general population and it commonly affects women. Age of
onset is late teens but can also occur in 20’s or 30’s.
The buyer
usually tries to control the behavior but in vain. Early diagnosis is useful to
prevent further damage.
Treatment of compulsive buying-
Treatment of
this disorder is difficult.
a) Non medicinal treatment includes
supportive therapy and self-help groups like Debtors anonymous.
b) Medicinal treatment includes-
antidepressants particularly SSRI, anxiolytics, anti-mania drugs, anti-psychotics.
Average debt on a
patient estimated is around 25000 dollars
Wishing you a healthy life
Dr Hitesh Sharma
MBBS, MD (Psychiatry)
For asking a query or phone/video consultation with me visit- https://www.icliniq.com/hitesh
For asking a query or phone/video consultation with me visit- https://www.icliniq.com/hitesh
