They believe that if they shop they will feel better. Compulsive shopping and spending generally makes a person feel worse. It also can occur when a person feels depressed, lonely and angry. Shopping and spending will not assure more love, bolster self-esteem, or heal the hurts, regrets, stress, and the problems of daily living. It generally makes these feelings worse because of the increased financial debt the person has obtained from compulsive shopping.
Compulsive shopping is related to anxiety rather than depression.
The compulsive shopper spends money to lower anxiety levels. It is important to find out what causes the person s anxiety. One major cause could be in the person s past and may involve denial of material possessions. Now the person overcompensates for fear that there will not be enough. Still others try to fill emotional voids by fulfilling themselves by purchasing desirable things.