Many women shop too much based on their estimates. I have met many who claim they are looking for something to replace shopping, not just in their behavior but also in their hearts and minds.
They want the thrill of shopping. They want to feel the excitement, the spice, and the joy of shopping (despite the fact it doesn’t last, those Big Feelings).
This is what I get.
When I started on my journey to healing from an overshopping addiction, I, too, wanted something that would replace shopping in all (or most) of the ways I used my time, attention, and imagination.
Here’s what I learned: shopping has stayed the same for me. It’s not in the same heart-warming, mind-absorbing manner that shopping at its peak was for me.
You know what? It’s okay, and it’s the only way.
It’s almost like a drug
It is almost impossible to find another product that has the same effect as a drug or narcotic if it has been used.
It all has to do with how our brain functions when we enjoy something.
It doesn’t take a brain scientist or a psychologist to understand that our brains can cause compulsive, impulsive, and addictive behavior. What happens is that our brains naturally produce chemicals called endorphins, dopamine, and dopamine. These are our “feel good” chemicals. They are activated when someone with a tendency to overshop (which is me and many others who have read this blog) engages in shopping behavior.
These “feel good” chemicals are activated, and I mean, so the woman shopping feels excellent.
Even the thought that it was going to a shop to buy or browse products can cause the release of dopamine. Dopamine, also known as the craving brain part, makes us crave something and gives us a chemical rush when we get it. The brain activates shopping by thinking about it. It anticipates future pleasures, and then voila! Our brains are flooded with dopamine.
Shoppers are just some of the ones who feel an increase in energy.
How big is the spike? This is what makes it different for over-shoppers.
It’s similar to the sugar high someone suffering from addiction gets from eating a cake or chocolate bar.