Buying frenzy: The truth about shopaholics

Are you a shopaholic? This may not sound like something worth worrying about, and for many people it isn't. But there are others out there who engage in this "impulse control disorder" every day. They rack up bills and debt to a level that is unhealthy. Researchers have even ranked it as an addictive behavior like alcoholism.

That could appear a bit extreme. After all, just because you have some money burning a hole in your pocket doesn't make you a shopaholic. New studies suggest that the reason serious compulsive buyers engage in chronic spending sprees is because they are trying to escape bad feelings or mask other problems.

A behavior like this can start to wear down on people, especially those dependent on money being spent away. However, there are some elements which make this research kind of extreme. For example, what about materialism? Some people just like stuff. Also, we're not all one or the other: there is a broad spectrum in between compulsive shoppers and penny pinchers. But the fact still remains that shopping, for some people, is an escape. In moderation, this can be relaxing. When exercised habitually it could have consequences.