UAE health experts warn: Shopping addiction is a real disorder - and social media is making it worse

Abu Dhabi: Two experts in psychology and public health warned of the dangers of shopping turning into a compulsive and difficult-to-control behaviour for some people, stressing that shopping addiction may lead to severe psychological, financial, and social crises, and that those afflicted with it are similar to drug addicts in terms of losing the ability to control their actions. They pointed out that social comparisons through social media platforms, and parenting methods that link happiness to purchases and material rewards, are among the most prominent factors that fuel this behaviour. For its part, the National Rehabilitation Centre stated that some people may become addicted to shopping for various reasons, noting that compulsive buying may be related to trying to relieve stress, boredom, or difficult feelings, which necessitates consulting specialists if it becomes difficult to control or causes financial or psychological damage. Clinical psychologist Dr. Fatima Al-Hamdi said that most individuals have different motives for buying, varying in degree from person to person, but there is a limit at which this behaviour turns into a "buying addiction" that causes serious psychological, material and social consequences for its owner. Clinical psychologist Dr. Fatima Al-Hamdi said that most individuals have different motives for buying, varying in degree from person to person. Picture credit: Supplied She pointed out that many people may experience this feeling, but for some it turns into compulsive behaviour that cannot be controlled, and is classified as a disorder in buying behaviour resulting from anxiety and fear, explaining that any behaviour that exceeds the acceptable limit and gets out of control becomes a disorder that needs comprehensive treatment. Al-Hamdi explained that the people most susceptible to this obsessive behavioural disorder are those who already suffer from psychological problems related to weak personality, which makes them easily influenced by any commodity that appeals to them, regardless of whether they need it or not. They are also influenced by what is circulated through social media, where they are impressed by the appearances and daily life that others display on their digital platforms, and they look forward in every way to reaching this level of living as a kind of psychological compensation. She added that constant social comparisons online, such as seeing people buying luxury cars for their wives on their birthdays, or traveling abroad constantly, push some people to fall into the trap of deceptive appearances, and try to imitate them by buying things and possessions they do not need, which ultimately leads them to the point of compulsive addiction and facing severe financial and psychological crises. Al-Hamdi advised individuals who notice their inability to control their purchasing urges, or for whom shopping has become the only means of escaping stress, to seek the help of qualified psychologists to treat this compulsive behaviour and build a well-thought-out treatment plan that enables them to restore financial and psychological balance before the consequences worsen. For his part, Dr. Saif Darwish, a specialist in public health and community medicine, said that compulsive buying is a behaviour that a person cannot stop despite its harmful effects on him materially and socially, and it is medically classified as an impulse control disorder. He pointed out that the person who suffers from this behaviour is similar to a drug addict in that he is unable to control his actions, and over time his compulsive desire to increase the quantity and size of purchases increases, which leads to the exacerbation of his problem and the continuous deterioration of his condition. Darwish pointed out that there are two main factors behind why some people, but not others, develop this compulsive behaviour. The first is psychological, and the second is social. He explained that most cases of people who develop this behaviour are caused by social problems and roots that extend back to early childhood, as a result of incorrect family upbringing methods that rely on linking the concept of happiness and joy to immediate purchases, or rewarding the child when completing certain tasks by buying sweets and material possessions only, as an alternative to emotional support. Dr. Saif Darwish, a specialist in public health and community medicine, said that compulsive buying is a behaviour that a person cannot stop despite its harmful effects. Picture credit: Supplied He pointed to other social factors, such as the blind drift towards fulfilling successive consumer desires in search of temporary psychological comfort, where some resort to buying things they do not need to compensate for the emotional void and the loss of spiritual and social aspects in their lives, which ultimately leads them to the brink of obsessive-compulsive behavioural disorder. Darwish gave preventative advice to families, s