Obessesive Shopping Disorder

I had a thought over my spending habit lately & am questioning myself whether am I suffering from Obsessive Shopping Disorder (OSD)?

OSD aka Compulsive Shopping is a form of process addiction in which someone feels compelled to shop. This type of process addiction results in the expenditure of large amounts of money. While it might seem laughable to be “addicted to shopping,” compulsive shopping is actually a serious problem!! Compulsive shoppers are actually out of control, which means that they are unable to stop spending money. They believe that if they shop they will feel better.

Compulsive shopping and spending generally makes a person feel worse. It can be a seasonal balm for the depression, anxiety and loneliness. It also can occur when a person feels depressed, lonely and angry. A chronic compulsive shopper shops constantly to feel better, becoming addicted to the process of shopping and spending money. Some may become compulsive in response to stress, failing relationships, or problems at work.

Shopaholics, basically go out and buy, to get a high, or get a "rush" just like a drug or alcohol addict. According to research, shopping addiction tends to affect more women than men. They often buy things they do not need. Women suffering from OSD often have racks of clothes and possessions with the price tags still attached which have never been used. They will go to a shopping mall with the intention of buying one or two items and come home with bags and bags of purchases. Does this sound familiar to you?!

Well, below are some tips to prevent shopping binges:

• Pay your purchases by cash or debit card
• Make a shopping list & only buy what is on the list
• Avoid discount warehouses. Allocate only a certain amount of cash to spend if you do visit one
• Talk a walk or exercise when the urge to shop comes on
• If you feel out of control, you probably are. Seek help from support group!!
  

Shopping and spending will not assure more love, bolster self-esteem, or heal the hurts, regrets, stress, and the problems of daily living. While many of us have treated ourselves to something special in response to depression or unsettling events (I do that often), bear in mind that there is a difference between setting a budget for a special treat instead of going on a spending spree which spirals out of control!
I will spend some time to curb my spending habit & am thankful that I am not a chronic shopaholic! =)

Girls Day Out~

This is one of the activities done over the weekend, at least once a month. A girls' day out - outing with buddies, fine-dining, gossiping, movie, enjoying tea & shopping! Of course, these prestigious activities are exclusively planned only for the girls!

The outing is usually planned at least a few days before, where the girls will start searching for a cool & hip meeting place. Dining is always a never to be missed endeavor during the outing - from hot & affordable street food to classy & pricey restaurants. Girls will always end up at different eateries, from Eastern to Western - American fast food, Italian pasta & tiramisu, Spanish bread pudding, Mediterranean seafood, Japanese sushi & sashimi, Korean kimchi & bibimbap etc etc. It is not an easy task to decide where to dine as each of the girls has her own preference.
"I don't take sushi & raw food..."My clothes will smell if we bbq in an air-conditioned place..."I am on low-carb diet, can we skip rice?" - these are the often heard statements, one of the girls got to stand firm to decide & be peacemaker.

Next, an act which comes naturally when girls get together - gossips! I am sure guys do the same as well. Girls will first update each other on how things stack up recently. Then after, girls will express their concerns on others - from complimenting colleagues & friends to criticising them on their outrageous behaviour. The tète-à-tète usually gets heated especially when the anchor is opposite sex, which girls would discuss inside out about him. This is the moment when you could see the zest among the girls, with sparkling eyes.
However, the girls do show their ugly side too. Jealousy, cynicism, backbiting, disfavour are part of the drama. They do piss & moan about their unhappiness - mostly it relates another female individual. Somehow, the girls do feel much satisfied & relief after uttering it out. Perhaps it's just a girl thing to share feeling among buddies!

Shopping is next in-line - this is another tough task to be achieved, as each girls has different taste in fashion & also spending power. The one who holds a platinum credit card & several member cards of high-end stores would suggest to visit designer boutiques, whereas girls who have limited spending power will rather call it a day than window shop - only get to admire things but not owning them. It is also challenging when all girls shop together, first of all, they will end up waiting one another. Secondly, girls will pop-up asking for comments - "How do I look in this dress? Red suits me better or black?". A friend will think carefully before answering, perhaps smiling away complimenting you. A true friend will give you blunt answer, which is not always pleasant.

Well, all the above activities could happen in a day, within hours. Sometimes, the girls will end up in disagreements but they do agree that the day spent is worthwhile as there is always something new learnt. Be that as it may, some might view this as a complete waste of time outing - increasing calories intake & energy draining conversation.
What do you think? How much time left do you have to spend your quality time with your buddies? So, treasure it!