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BBC News
30-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Shopping addiction should be taken more seriously say sufferers
A day of retail therapy can be just the ticket for some people to help them feel better about themselves. But what happens when you can't stop shopping?Surrounded by racks of shirts, dresses and jumpers, Lucy tells me that she could spend up to 14 hours a day searching out new clothes as an escape from 37-year-old's life may sound like a dream, but Lucy is clear that excessive shopping damaged her one point, Lucy found herself not paying her bills so she could continue to buy clothes."It's like a physical and an emotional drowning. I have felt like I'm just under a weight of clothes constantly," she has no idea how many garments she owns, but they take up an entire room in her West Yorkshire home as well as several suitcases - and a 35 sq ft storage unit. "Clothes acted like an armour to not feel the feelings that I did in real life," she set up a fashion Instagram account and her shopping eventually "spiralled" to the point that she was spending £700 per week - eventually racking up £12,000 of debt. "It was the first thing I would think about when I woke up. "You keep looking for clothes in the same way someone might keep drinking because they haven't quite reached the point of escapism they were hoping to reach," she recalls as she continues to recover. 'Penny drop moment' She says seeing influencers online with copious amount of clothes "normalised" her habits. It was not until a therapist told her she may have oniomania - the compulsive urge to buy things - that she realised it was possible to be addicted to describes the second in her NHS Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) session that she heard about the disorder as a "penny drop" addiction, also known as compulsive buying disorder or oniomania, is when a person feels an uncontrollable need to shop and spend, despite the negative is not known how many people have it. A review of research suggests it affects around 5% of adults but a more recent study says it may have risen to 10% since the Lucy and others across the UK are calling for a better understanding of the condition and for more support from the NHS."I think the resources are currently lacking. The research and understanding of oniomania is just not there in the same way as addiction to substances," Lucy says. Natalie has what she calls her "cupboard of doom" with more than 10,000 household items in her Rotherham the 40-year-old, her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) "triggers" her to buy certain things - including a particular number of items and cupboard is home to 300 tubes of toothpaste and 3,000 washing pods."It just escalated to the point where I was going out and just wasn't settled until my boot was full of stuff," Natalie the peak of her addiction, she would be at the shops every day and could spend up to £3,000 a month - including £1,000 on toiletries."I cannot stop - and I do not want to stop either. If I see something online, I need it. I don't care how I get it, I need to get it."The mother-of-one recently spent £1,000 while on a flight - mainly on perfumes - and says she has about 400 fragrances, bought in little more than two who works in private nursing, says ads have a "massive effect" on her buying habits and she can spend around six hours a day watching perfume videos online when she is not working. She has undergone therapy both within the NHS and privately, but feels it was not successful as she is not yet ready to stop - but is focused on trying to cut her shopping."I think every addiction should be treated the same and more help and therapy should be available [from the NHS] to people who want it," she adds. The BBC has spoken to 15 people who feel they have a shopping talked of a mental toll and feelings of guilt and shame. One said they developed an eating disorder as a result, and another said it became a "monster" in their life. All felt that social media contributed to their addiction. According to experts, the proportion of retail sales online has more than doubled in the last decade, up from 12% in May 2015 to 27% in May advertising body IAB UK says advertisers' spend on social media content grew by 20% last year – standing at a total of £8.87bn. Zaheen Ahmed, director of therapy at The UKAT Group, which runs addiction treatment centres across the country, says they have seen more people with a shopping explains that the hormonal anticipation of a purchase could be equated to the reaction of a drug user securing a Ahmed says that social media use as part of smartphone ownership is "the new normal"."Social media is impacting our lives big time and it is contributing to our urge to buy, urge to spend, urge to interact every time." Shopping became a coping mechanism for issues surrounding Alyce's self-confidence and started using Buy Now Pay Later schemes when she was aged 18 - a decision she describes as a "gateway" to other the end, Alyce, from Bristol, was saddled with debts of £9,000 after spending up to £800 each month on new items, particularly ordering clothes online."The more I had to open, the more excitement there was."But once I opened the parcels, the buzz would wear off and I'd be sad again - so then the cycle continues."Social media is essentially another version of QVC, but one younger generations can watch," the 25-year-old who works in business administration, has since overcome her addiction with therapy and is now almost debt free."If I hadn't done that, I don't really know where I would be," she says."It does genuinely change your way of thinking and creeps into everything you do - your whole life revolves around payday when you can shop again."It just becomes so overwhelming." If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for more support. The NHS says it is possible to become addicted to just about anything - but there's no distinct diagnosis for a shopping reason is because experts dispute how to classify it, with some believing it is a behavioural addiction, while others link it to mood or obsessive compulsive of addiction at the University of York Ian Hamilton says shopping addiction has "caught psychiatry on the back foot".The expert, who has worked in the field for three decades, said he believes we are still two or three years from the disorder being more widely recognised as a formal Hamilton says the retail sector has lifted some of the strategies used by the gambling industry to keep people engaged online."I don't think it's any accident that people find it difficult once they start this loop of spending, buying, feeling good then having remorse."The academic adds the rise of influencers is not just a coincidence."It's one thing having an item described to you, [but that] doesn't have the same impact as seeing a glossy well-put together video package which extols the virtue of an item and only shows the positives."Pamela Roberts, psychotherapist at the healthcare provider Priory Group, is clear: "We need to learn different coping strategies but we can only learn [them] when it's recognised as a problem - and that's only done when it's made official," she NHS spokesperson said: "NHS Talking Therapies provides treatment for a range of conditions including OCD and provides practical skills and techniques to help cope."They added that anyone struggling with obsessive and compulsive behaviour can contact their GP or refer themselves for therapy.
Business Standard
20-06-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Flight anxiety rising after Air India crash? Doctor explains what to do
The recent Air India crash has sparked a wave of flight anxiety, leaving many travellers uneasy and second-guessing their next trip. Mental health experts share ways to manage the emotional impact. According to Dr Astik Joshi, Child, Adolescent & Forensic Psychiatrist at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, it's not always about being physically present or knowing someone on board. Sometimes, just the information overload and emotional weight of such news can trigger your brain's stress response. 'Even if you weren't directly involved, traumatic flight-related news, like crashes or emergency landings, can adversely affect your mental health,' said Dr Joshi. You might notice yourself feeling uneasy, getting anxious while packing for a trip, or even imagining worst-case scenarios as soon as your flight is booked. All of this is valid. Your brain is trying to protect you from perceived danger, even if that danger is statistically low. How can you tell if it's flight anxiety or aviophobia? Not all anxiety related to flying is the same. 'Flight phobia, or aviophobia, is distinct from generalised anxiety,' says Dr Joshi. If you are experiencing fear specifically tied to planes, airports, take-offs, or turbulence, it could be flight phobia. You may find yourself avoiding flight-related news altogether, cancelling trips, or feeling physical symptoms like a racing heart, shallow breathing, or nausea before a flight. On the other hand, general anxiety shows up across various aspects of life, not just flights. But when an airline incident hits the headlines and there is a travel plan in the near future, taking a flight might feel risky, prompting people to book a train, out of anxiety. What are the symptoms of flight anxiety or fear of flying? Not sure if you're just shaken because of the crash or if it's something deeper? Here are some signs that may indicate growing flight-related anxiety: Avoiding booking work trips that involve flights Feeling dread or panic when travel is mentioned Watching or reading flight news obsessively Trouble sleeping before a scheduled flight Physical symptoms (palpitations, sweating, nausea) when thinking about flying If these signs persist for more than a couple of weeks or start interfering with your work, travel, or general peace of mind, it's worth reaching out to a mental health professional. 'Flight phobia can escalate if ignored,' Dr Joshi cautions. What are the best coping strategies for fear of flying? Here's what can actually help soothe your nerves post-crash coverage: Ground yourself in facts: Flying remains one of the safest modes of travel statistically Practice deep breathing or mindfulness: A few minutes a day can rewire your stress response Talk about it: Whether it's a friend or therapist, don't keep your fears bottled up Visualise safe flying experiences: Think back to calm, uneventful flights you've taken before Seek professional help: Therapy, especially CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), is highly effective in treating phobias Air disasters, though rare, strike a nerve because they tap into our deepest fears — of loss, lack of control, and the fragility of life. It's human to feel shaken. What matters is how you respond. For more health updates, follow #HealthWithBS
