I Am Addicted To Spending Money | Compulsive Shoppers Documentary | Absolute Documentaries

Shopping is something most people do - but for some, it can become an obsessive-compulsive habit making it hard to live a normal life. Jasmine Harman meets people suffering from shopping addiction while investigating the personal and very emotional reasons for developing this money-consuming habit. Watch this unique documentary about how the lives of compulsive shoppers are affected by their inability to say no!

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[Wendys_lovinglife]

As a reformed shopaholic I can say that the key to healing from it is to really grasp the concept that the person who is shopping is robbing themselves of their own abundance and to get at the reason why they are doing that and to heal that.

[biblemademedoit]

I remember a customer like Ebony when I worked retail and she was a beautiful person who filled voids in her life with shopping. When she died last year her estate sale was huge, and so much was still in packages and had tags, whole rooms and closets. It was so sad realizing she worked daily to buy things that ended up being sold for pennies.

[katrinab]

Online shopping, especially Amazon, and social media (for example, unboxing/shopping haul videos on Youtube) really has made this problem way worse, I'm sure. It's easy to shop 24/7 and you get inundated with ads all the time to buy more stuff and get "deals". It is a dopamine rush to click the button to buy and to get the package and open it, but beyond that the thrill usually wears off quickly.

[hicvsci]

When I was in my early twenties I also spent insane amounts on clothing and make up every month. I was severely depressed and looked for those moments to make myself feel better. I started with a 1 week no shopping ban and just carried on. I haven't bought any new makeup for three years or new clothing for myself for one full year. In the previous two years before that I bought two items of clothing which I actually needed. Having stuff didn't make me happy, as that feeling would fade but it was always something to look forward to for the next month.

I spent my money on therapy instead.

[bognespava]

21:30 the only thing worse than being "sure" she'll have children one day is the fact that she's already made them responsible for her own happiness 😔

[Nailtheday]

A bargain is only a bargain if it’s something you need or were going to buy anyway and it’s cheaper. I do feel for these people and hope they’re now ok x

[missiggy]

If I was the wife of the online buyer, I would sell everything online and keep the money, since its has the tags and he forgets about it.

[silvianguyen]

i was wondering why the partners stay in situations like that, and then she said "Dean is on his fourth marriage"

[Debbiesdilemmas]

People shop to get a high. Unfortunately for most it’s so brief that they’re looking for the next purchase to feel the same. You have to realize that material possessions are not what you need to be happy. People like these need relationships, hobbies, passions that don’t involve things.

[jennam]

Good to see that Dipna is doing so well now with her restaurant - called 'Brilliant Restaurant' - and as an author, and with her supportive dad too! Also she got married this year

[mochi]

I think Dipnas case is especially sad, she places so much value on material items that don't fulfill her in the slightest. It's not bad to like nice things, but she has nothing in her life that brings her joy except for material items, it must be such a miserable, empty experience
Edit: Her father is in COMPLETE denial too.

[anitas]

The amount of denial is mind boggling. And all of these people are using shopping to fill huge emotional voids in their lives. I hope they get help.

[Mamado]

I'm a shopaholic, definitely always trying to fill a void from being an extremely poor child. Only way I've been able to curb it is building a house. Now I've got no money as it all goes to paying that off!

[EmilyElizabethxox]

Can’t help but think of the number of times Dean was bidding against someone who truly wanted/needed the item only for it to go into a storage bin.

[lvaa]

The quantity of stuff in some cases gives me anxiety. I don’t mind spending on something luxurious that I will use. But collecting stuff I will never use stresses me out.

[createone]

I am fascinated by this, because I really dislike shopping. Clearly, Dipna’s parents have failed her by not raising her to be passionate about real achievements and truly important things. How incredibly sad. As for Ebony, she definitely needs to seek therapy. She is covering up some deep pain with layers and layers of denial.

[Valir]

I used to be a compulsive buyer. I decided to be a minimalist and have sold most of my stuff. I’m never ever going back!

[aandjay]

Makes me sad that guy never thinks of his wife or buys her anything its all about him just watching him open packages broke my heart he better treat her right she's devoted and he takes advantage

[AceOfSpades]

If I feel a compulsion to shop, I try to focus that on something that's actually necessary, like groceries or house repair items; also, I remind myself that the best things in life are either free or very cheap.

[ArtByHazel]

I feel her pain so much. Sometimes shopping and other obsessive-compulsive habit is just a symptom of a deeper cause within. The rush of dopamine is totally addicting. Thank God I'm able to get out of my own shopping spree. Phew! It was not easy at first yet I'm better now because I committed to getting to the root cause of why I'm doing what I'm doing.