Compulsive Buying
Otherwise known as the compulsive shopper, this tag applies to some that need to shop to feel good about themselves (the proverbial shoe collector that has over 100 pairs of shoes in the closet, yet is still unhappy..). Whether it is having to eat, having to drink, having to gamble, having to shop or other compulsive behaviour, happiness is not usually found down this path and it usually just leads to some disappointment and possibly some high Visa bills.
If someone you know fits in this category, awareness is the first step, education may be the next step and then substitution (ie doing what you really enjoy, working at what you really enjoy, working at something that is gratifying (and makes money too..). Start with personal fitness (even taking walks...), better nutrition (taking better care of your body which in turn will support you when you need it), connecting spiritually with ourselves and the world around us, deriving true meaning in our fragile yet important time on Earth.
Alright, so what about Compulsive Buying?
Compulsive Buying aka. Compulsive Shopping or Shopping Addiction results in a viscious circle where only the act of buying gives an immediate "high" feeling only to be replaced by sorrow. This goes beyond even buyers remorse and also beyond the occaisional binge shopping and is considered by some to even require support groups such as Debtors Anonymous, Shopping Addicts Only or other local support groups.
Just because you go on a buying binge here and there does not make one a compulsive shopper, but it is always good to be aware of the extremes and remain within one's own spending ability. If the desire to buy more is burning inside, convert some of that energy into the desire to make more first. Then go out and spend some with a guilt free conscious!
As a retired fisherman once said, "If you give someone a fish, you feed them for a day, if you teach them how to fish, you feed them for life!"