Christmas is a time strongly linked to consumptiona time of year when people allow themselves to make an extra expense.
The motivation to buy at Christmas does not arise so much from necessity or pleasure (as it does in other periods), but rather derives predominantly from the commitment to fulfill others. In other words, we buy gifts, decorations, nougats and lottery tickets out of habit and social pressure.
Christmas: a phenomenon associated with consumption
The French sociologist and philosopher Emile Durkheim pointed out throughout his works the importance of ritual celebrations in integration and social cohesion. From this perspective, Christmas is accompanied by holidays that reinforce beliefs, values and, above all, commitment to the group, where the family constitutes the main unit.
In this line, experts in neuroscience and neuromarketing highlight the role of the “emotional cloud” that permeates the environment at this time and that plays a decisive role in encouraging purchasing behavior.
According to a study published by the British Medical Journal, the brain associates all types of stimuli related to Christmas with a false optimism and state of happiness in which businesses participate to encourage consumption.
Thus, brands use the smells of chestnut, vanilla or cinnamon to ambiance their stores, they play Christmas carols to transport consumers to their childhood and they decorate their spaces with lights and colors such as red and gold that are associated with wealth, to power and illusion. All these signals, added to the advertising campaigns, the effects of the offers, the immediacy of online shopping and the emotional meaning of Christmas, They constitute the perfect breeding ground for us to “get out of hand” and spend sums of money which, many times, are above the previously planned budget.
Although Christmas is one of the periods of the year in which massive consumption occurs, it is also It is the ideal time for mental health problems such as compulsive buying disorder to go unnoticedan addiction problem that works in a very similar way to substance addiction.
What are the differences between excessive buying and compulsive buying?
It is important distinguish between compulsive buying that manifests itself in shopaholics and excessive buying that occurs during Christmas sales periods.
A person’s relationship with purchasing behavior can be more or less problematic. A healthy buyer is one who, in general, is able to modulate his desire to purchase. Although on specific dates (such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day or a birthday) he may go overboard in spending or, although he may occasionally let himself be carried away by his impulses, the healthy consumer is capable of controlling himself and has a moderately functional life (purchases do not represent a restriction of his freedom).
However, A pathological buyer (addict) is one unable to stop his or her impulsivity.. You feel a strong loss of control over the desire to acquire a good or service and organize your life around the purchase.
Thus, the compulsive buyer has a dependent relationship with the purchase, since they use it as a means of compensation to face other problems that are hidden beneath this symptom (frequently anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc.).
Thomas O’Guinn and Ronald J. Faber, psychologists who are experts in this topic, suggest a series of qualitative differences that separate a “healthy” consumer from a “pathological” consumer. These are the following.
Healthy consumers purchase products for their functional benefits. For example, they buy food out of necessity, buy clothes to look better, and give gifts to strengthen their relationships.
Addicts, for their part, buy goods and services because of the emotional effects associated with the purchasing process itself.. They feel pleasure, avoid thinking about problems and feeling unpleasant emotions, experience relief, feel in company when interacting with store staff, and reinforce their worth by “being able” to acquire what they want. Pathological consumers buy for the sake of buying with the sole objective of benefiting from the experience.
2. Control during the purchasing process
Healthy shoppers usually plan their purchases. They have an idea of what they need or want to acquire and they go out in search of it. Although it is true that, at times, they get carried away by desire and impulse, in general, control and the ability to modulate spending predominate.
Compulsive buyers, however, purchase products in an uncontrolled, impulsive manner, without considering the consequences. and spending, many times, money that they do not have (it is common for them to go into debt, ask for loans from the bank or steal from their relatives). During the purchasing process, these people feel tremendously intense emotions, such as euphoria and pleasure.
3. The use of the products and the post-purchase consequences
When purchasing a product, healthy buyers are more or less satisfied with its function. and they either keep it and use it or return it, which does not have great effects on an emotional level.
Compulsive buyers often feel powerful emotions that can be pleasant (such as a sense of worth) or unpleasant (such as shame or guilt), and in both cases, They tend to accumulate them and hide them without actually using them.. It is important to understand that these people do not seek to use the function of the items purchased, but rather the effects of going out to purchase it, that is, the purchasing process, not the object and its function.
When faced with warning signs, you must seek professional help
Although excessive purchases can lead to a small hole in the wallet that lasts throughout certain dates such as Christmas, Compulsive shopping constitutes a serious psychological pathology that falls within impulse control disorders. and that has great consequences at an intra-personal level (depression, very low self-esteem, deterioration of social relationships, loss of employment, etc.) and at an inter-personal level (debts, deception, family problems, etc.).
If you think you may be suffering from impulse control disorder associated with shopping, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. If you wish, you can find out more about it on our website www.centrotap.es or send an email to (email protected).
