Surely, jewelry shopping is one of the most fulfilling experiences that a lot of women consider. It lifts the mood and reduces stress levels in ways no one can imagine. It promotes social interaction as well because shoppers tend to associate with their peers and sales personnel. However, too much of the habit somehow results in a negative way of living. So if you found yourself in a behavioral situation where there is an involved compulsive buying of gold and glittery stones, perhaps it is time to listen to your therapist.
Spending Habits
If you happen to blow every penny you have in buying pieces of jewelry, you might want to consider an evaluation. Ask yourself questions as to what jewelry means to you. How are they supposed to help you get through, and what are their roles in your life. Perhaps you already got the answers in your head. But are those reasons genuinely enough to validate your jewelry shopping addiction? Will you be able to tell everyone that what you are doing is based on necessity?
“Compulsive shopping is not a well-defined disorder, and it’s not a stand-alone condition,” says Jerrold Pollak, Ph.D. “It’s usually linked to other problems such as depression, anxiety or self-esteem issues.”
One of the issues with shopping is its inherently pleasurable effects. At some point, it is entirely normal and healthy. In some fortunate instances, people often use it as part of their psychotherapy treatment. However, the problem is when they are doing it excessively that individuals begin to develop adverse emotional and mental dysfunction. When spending habits lead to debts that can’t get repaid, it causes stress and anxiety. And when shopping becomes more important than other things, it brings psychological issues.
“The thrill of purchase only gives way to let-down, disappointment, guilt, shame, financial and interpersonal consequences–and the need for more shopping,” says Suzanne Phillips, Psy.D.
Financial Rights Or Mental Threat?
Another problem with shopping addiction lies in the growth of your finances. The better they are, the more you support the behavioral habit. However, for those individuals who can’t seem to afford such expensive things, their ways of achieving it depend on their capability to alter their behavior. For some that can afford the constant buying, they consider the practice as economic rights. But for those who can barely make enough cash, wanting and getting things by any means is a mental threat.
From all the jewelry shopping that you do and calculating all the years you spent buying stuff, there is so much clutter for sure. You might not see it, but every time you feel you need to buy something because it is pretty and sparkly, you encourage a mental distortion. Yes, the habit allows an increase of dopamine levels because you reward yourself. However, when the activity becomes constant, there is a dopamine rise. When that happens, your reward pathways aims for more satisfaction until it pushes you to do more and exceeds what currently pleases you.
Breaking The Bad Behavioral Habit
Most addiction counseling professionals believe that if the addiction has been running for an extended period, it can be quite impossible to address. However, some ways can help you from getting rid of the mental condition. The first thing you have to do is evaluate and internalize. You have to gather all the financial details you have, such as debts and expenses, as well as income. From there, create a plan to attack it, and one way to do it is through learning the art of budgeting. When you finally get a hold of how much money you earn and spend, everything else will become an eye-opener.
“Treating the underlying issue can help improve the buying behavior if it stems from another disorder,” says Marlynn Wei, MD.
Another thing you need to look through is that not all pleasing jewelry deals are good deals. Most of it is just trying to riff you off. When you realize the need to say “no,” you will be amazed at how those things don’t genuinely matter at all. Yes, it will be difficult to avoid temptations. But when you try and figure out what your triggers are, you will be able to understand what to do. When you go shopping for pieces of jewelry, always ask yourself if you need it. Don’t use your stress, anxiety, boredom, and depression as an excuse to get one. Be mindful that in everything you do, your will is more powerful than your desires. Stick to your means and only buy things you need.
Knowing that you have a mental condition will able to help in addressing the root of the issue. Because once you realize the need for psychological help, you can be able to set out limits. From there, you can begin to make sure that you only buy things that you need. Yes, jewelry is amazingly beautiful things. But they are not as valuable as your mental and emotional condition.