8 Warning Signs of a Shopping Addiction

1. You get high when you buy

If you’re addicted to shopping, you’re always chasing the next buying buzz. There’s no greater rush to a shopping addict than hitting “submit payment” or bringing home bags of new clothes and electronic devices after a day of hitting your favorite retail stores.

Next time you get the urge to shop for things you don’t need, ask yourself what emotion drives the urge. Are you bored or lonely? Try going to a movie or hanging out with a friend instead.

2. You shop when upset

Do you go online or head to your favorite store after your boss writes you up or you have a spat with your spouse? If so, shopping may take the place of healthier – and less expensive – coping skills.

Try finding better ways to respond to stress such as working out at the gym, yoga, cleaning the house, cooking or going for a walk to sort your emotions.

3. You feel shame after shopping

Much like an alcoholic who calls people to apologize for his or her behavior the morning after a drunken evening, you may feel shame after indulging your shopping addiction. Unopened boxes and bags on the floor or in your closet are constant reminders of your lack of control.

You’re not the first person to struggle with a shopping addiction, so help is available. Maybe it’s time to find a therapist or counselor who can help figure out what you’re getting from shopping and how to find fulfillment in healthier ways.

4. You hide purchases

Do you keep out-of-control shopping habits from family or friends by hiding boxes and opening packages before your significant other sees them? Maybe you even have a secret credit card exclusively for shopping purchases that your spouse knows nothing about.

You may think you’re getting away with something, but secrecy and deception are relationship killers. If you feel like you have to hide something you want to buy, put the credit card away.

5. You have unworn clothing and unopened packages

If you’re constantly buying clothes when the tags are still attached to a closetful of outfits you bought and never wore, the thrill of shopping – not the need for new clothes – could be driving those purchases.

Spend a day going through your closet, calculating how much you spent on unnecessary purchases. Next time you get the urge to shop for new clothes, deposit any money you’d have spent in savings instead. When you reach a savings goal, reward yourself with a purchase you’ll actually use.

6. You buy stuff just because it’s on sale

When you’re a compulsive shopper, it’s nearly impossible to resist enticing e-mails you get from favorite retailers. There’s nothing like a 24-hour sale or 50% off to make you salivate for your next fix.

When you have no willpower, it’s best to avoid temptation. Unsubscribe to e-mails from retailers until you get a handle on your shopping addiction. Stay away from shopping malls and retail stores.

7. You ignore your budget to shop

If you start each month with a small allotment for shopping purchases in your budget but keep on shopping after you reach that limit, your compulsion to shop outweighs common sense and a desire for financial stability.

Maybe it’s time to head to Debtors Anonymous, an organization that requires a commitment to stop incurring unsecured debt. ^[1] Debtors Anonymous offers face-to-face, phone and online meetings with others who struggle with spending.

Find out: How to Create a Budget and Stick to it 

8. Your credit cards are maxed out

Are your credit cards maxed to the limit with charges for shoes, clothing, electronic devices, books, music and everything else that gave you a rush to buy? That’s a lot of debt to pay off. What if you have a medical emergency or car repair and need credit?

Consider meeting with a credit counselor at a free non-profit credit counseling agency to create a debt payoff plan, budget and better spending and saving habits.

This article by Deb Hipp was originally published on Debt.com.