He said the parent likes to think he or she is Santa and the child wants to believe in Santa. Parents respond to their child's queries about Santa with irrational explanations. In this way, adults can satisfy their own needs, because perpetuating the myth is both a pleasant experience and one that helps them recall the innocence of their own childhood, explained Carey Halsey, a Loyola child development specialist. Many children have to deal with poverty, violence and divorce every day. The excitement and emotions of the holidays can trigger compulsive and obsessive individuals into buying binges, said Dr. Patricia Santucci, associate professor of psychiatry at Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago.
Depression is the cause of some compulsive shopping.
Loss of control when shopping Sense of euphoria while purchasing Feelings of withdrawal if effort is made to stop shopping Confusion or feelings of shame afterward Failure to remember purchased items Compulsive shopping affects 5 percent to 6 percent of the U.S. population, and the sufferers are usually fairly educated, middle-aged females who begin compulsive shopping in their late teens, Santucci said. Suspending rational thinking allows a mythical Santa to produce and deliver gifts, and enables children to see their parents as loving adults and perfect role models, said Loyola child development specialist, Carey Halsey. However, if the child is asking the question whether or not Santa Claus exists, then most likely he or she is ready to handle the answer, said Loyola child psychiatrist, Dr. Osama El-Shafie. El-Shafie suggests that one approach in presenting Santa to older children is to treat him more as a fairy tale than as a myth.