Shopping Bulimia Linked To Eating Disorders?

We’ve all heard of compulsive shoppers, right? The ones who buy just about anything without holding back. If you haven’t, watch a couple of episodes of Hoarders or Intervention and eventually,a compulsive shopper wlll pop up.

What you don’t see very often are people who shop lots and then return everything. Apparently, in what must have been a slow news week, some media outlet called shopping and then returning – shopping bulimia.

As silly as it sounds, I was ready to dismiss it, but
I wanted to share the signs that could mean shoppers had shopping bulimia. The list was as follows:

* Shopping to ease depression and anxiety.
* Damaging perfectly good products and telling elaborate stories so retailers will accept returns.
* Feeling euphoria and excitement after a purchase is made, followed by extreme buyer’s remorse.
* Buying pricey luxury items for social events with the intention of later returning them for refunds.
* Having high expectations for how you should live your life, without the cash flow to maintain such a lifestyle.

Didn’t think much of it -except for the first one. Anyone who has ever struggled with any type of eating disorder, or an addiction, for that matter, can see themselves in this one – a behavior done in an attempt to ease depression and anxiety.

In other words – doing something to avoid feeling the feelings.
Some food for thought for today: feelings actually serve a real purpose if we allow them to -they help us:
* Recognize who you are: what you like, what you don’t like, and what you need
* Understand and empathize with others
* Communicate clearly and effectively
* Make decisions based on the things that are most important to you
* Get motivated and take action to meet goals
* Build strong, healthy and rewarding relationships