As we approach the November 'Black Friday', most of us are getting prepared to log in and buy whatever we need to benefit from the big discounts. However, some are already shopping online for the sake of shopping. Those are warned by reserachers from getting addicted to online shopping.
According to British 'Mirror', researchers from Hannover Medical School claim that for some people, shopping online became a habit, and becomes by time an addiction - so that experts believe that it should be classed as a ‘mental health condition.’
According to them, the so-called ‘buying-shopping disorder’ (BSD) should have its own classification, rather than its current listing as ‘other specified impulse control disorder.’
Dr Astrid Muller, who led the study, said: “It really is time to recognise BSD as separate mental health condition and to accumulate further knowledge about BSD on the Internet.”
He explained that the condition is characterised by an extreme preoccupation with, and craving for, shopping, as well as urges to own certain goods. "Worryingly, people with the condition also tend to buy more than they can afford or use," he said.
And in the long run, the condition can lead to extreme distress, family issues, hoarding of goods and even embezzlement, according to the researchers.
The researchers analysed data from earlier studies reporting on 122 patients seeking treatment for BSD.
Dr. Muller added: "We hope that our results showing that the prevalence of addictive online shopping among treatment-seeking patients with BSD will encourage future research addressing the distinct phenomenological characteristics, underlying features, associated comorbidity, and specific treatment concepts."
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