Is "Double 11" crazy hand-picking a "shopping addiction disorder"
"Shopping addiction disorder" is not a phenomenon that only appeared after online shopping and "Double 11".
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Just after "Double 11", there was a hot search: a woman in her 40s in Ningbo couldn't control her desire to buy things. She spent huge sums of money on shopping every month and was diagnosed with shopping addiction disorder and anxiety disorder.
Seeing this news, some netizens were surprised: Is shopping also sick? Why does it sound like fabricated?
Some netizens are also worried: I bought a lot of things during Double 11, will I be sick too?
Others sneered: Where is the disease? It is to show off your wealth!
I must not get this disease because I have no money.
In fact, these thoughts are all misunderstandings of "shopping addiction disorder".
"This is a disease made up by the doctor, isn't it?"-Really not
Although the current mainstream criteria for diagnosing mental disorders do not have a disease officially called "shopping addiction disorder", there are indeed similar mental disorders. Researchers have done research on related phenomena and symptoms for many years.
The current mainstream standards for diagnosing mental disorders mainly include "International Classification of Diseases 11th Edition (ICD-11)" and "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5)".
In ICD-11, there is a sub-category called "Compulsive Shopping Disorder" under "Other Specific Impulse Control Disorders".
In DSM-5, although it is written that “shopping addiction is not included because it has not been clearly described at present,” some researchers have been calling for shopping addiction disorder to be listed as a separate mental disorder. It has both compulsive and addictive characteristics.
Also, don't think that this is a phenomenon that only occurred after online shopping and the "Double 11" hit.
As early as 1899, German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin mentioned pathological buying tendency in the 6th edition of his "Textbook of Psychiatry", but at that time everyone could only buy offline.
In the contemporary era, with the increase in shopping methods, there may be more people with this barrier than you think. In 2016, a relevant analysis included data from 16 countries, 49 studies, and more than 30,000 people. It is estimated that people with compulsive shopping behaviors account for about 5% of the entire society.
"I placed 10 orders on'Double 11', is it a mental disorder?"-Don't worry
Shopping barriers are far more than just "shopping" and "ordering".
The lady in the news bought more than 100 bags of rice in a few days, each weighing 20 kilograms, far exceeding the needs of small families, and she has spent huge amounts every month in the past year. Our "Double 11" is just a stockpile of goods, and we won't buy it every month.
Academia believes that people with shopping addiction disorder will have these manifestations: extreme obsession with shopping; irresistible shopping impulse; repeated over-buying; unable to control themselves.
Although they will feel guilty and regret after buying, knowing that these behaviors will cause family discord, work obstacles, financial problems, etc., patients will regard this behavior as the only way to cope with other pressures and relieve negative emotions.
What we need to pay attention to is that in the diagnostic criteria of mental disorders, in addition to the symptoms, there is often a point that "severely affects normal life".
Although we always joked that "you will eat soil after Double 11", we don't really spend all our daily expenses on shopping. We can continue our normal life, and even buy things to make our daily life better.
Therefore, even if we place a lot of orders during Double 11, we don't need to substitute ourselves and worry too much.
"The rich and free'ladies' can get this disease!"-Misunderstanding is big
This sentence is too misunderstood about mental illness. Saying that "shopping addiction disorder is all about wealth and trouble" is like saying that "depression is all about leisure", lacking empathy.
There is a saying in the academic definition of shopping disorder: People with shopping addiction disorder will regard shopping as the only way to cope with stress.
In other words, to understand shopping addiction disorder, we can't just find the reason from the shopping behavior itself, but also see whether the patient is facing other difficult pressures.
In the news, this woman had this abnormal shopping behavior only after her child was in boarding junior high school, and she also had a concurrent anxiety disorder in her diagnosis. In other words, this mother was probably because the child left home. Feeling uncontrollable pressure and anxiety, such as lack of self-worth, make follow-up shopping behaviors to alleviate anxiety.
This kind of anxiety is undoubtedly painful and requires medication, psychological counseling, and the support of people around you.
So, how should we view shopping addiction disorder and buy-buy-buy?
The psychologist believes that we should adopt a common attitude towards all psychological disorders and psychological symptoms: be appropriately alert to one's own situation, and know that one should ask for help when a behavior or symptom is about to lose control, but at the same time Don't worry too much, don't label yourself as a psychological disorder at will.
Don't blame the patient, because no matter what kind of mental disorder, people suffer the same pain in their hearts.
Yin Jinxiu Source: China Youth Daily