Shopping is a part of everyday life, whether it’s grabbing essentials or treating yourself to something special now and then. Most of us have moments when a good sale or a new trend feels irresistible, and that’s perfectly normal. But sometimes, the urge to shop can feel harder to control.
If you notice that buying things has become a go-to for comfort or excitement—or that you’re spending beyond your means and feeling regret right after a purchase—it might be a sign of compulsive buying disorder. While “compulsive buying disorder” isn’t included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), these patterns could point to underlying issues that are worth exploring.
In this article, we’ll dive into what drives compulsive buying behaviors, how they differ from regular shopping habits, and what you can do if you’re finding it difficult to control the urge to shop.
What is compulsive buying disorder?
Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) refers to a pattern of repetitive, excessive shopping that goes beyond the occasional splurge and starts to interfere with daily life. This behavior can lead to emotional, social, financial, and sometimes even legal issues, making it feel hard to break free. While most of us enjoy treating ourselves now and then, compulsive buying often involves an urge to shop that’s difficult to resist or control.
Experts debate how to classify this behavior, with some viewing it as an addictive disorder, others as an impulse control issue, and still others viewing it as a way to manage moods. Compulsive buying shares traits with behavioral and substance addictions, such as intense cravings, feelings of euphoria, and relief from negative emotions. Although not officially classified as an addiction in the DSM-5, CBD involves similar patterns of impaired motivation–reward and behavioral inhibition, leading to serious personal and financial challenges that are also seen in circumstances like gambling and drug use.
For some people, shopping creates a powerful sense of satisfaction or joy that may not come as easily in other areas of life. Dr. Patrick McGrath, Chief Clinical Officer at NOCD, describes how the joy from purchasing something can feel different from other sources of happiness. For example, someone might feel that “interacting with people doesn’t give them great joy, but when they purchase something, they are thrilled.” This sense of accomplishment from buying can feel hard to resist, especially if it offers a temporary escape or excitement.
Although you can’t be formally diagnosed with compulsive buying disorder, patterns of excessive shopping could point to other underlying mental health concerns. In some cases, compulsive buying may resemble hoarding behaviors, where shopping becomes a way to fill a need or comfort yourself in difficult moments. Dr. McGrath explains that some people “use shopping as a distraction or to fill a void,” which can lead to accumulating items without really using them or finding value in them.
Signs of Compulsive Buying Disorder
If your shopping habits begin to interfere with your daily life, they may be indicative of compulsive buying disorder. Here are some common signs that may suggest it’s more than just a love for shopping:
Going into debt due to purchases
A significant indicator of compulsive buying is when someone starts spending beyond their means. As Dr. McGrath explains, “If you’re going into debt, that’s a big piece. There are people who have gone into pretty significant debt because of the rush they get from gathering things.”
Hoarding and overcrowding your living space
While hoarding and compulsive buying are distinct behaviors, they can sometimes intersect. Hoarding itself is less about buying new things and more about difficulty discarding possessions, even when they no longer serve a purpose. However, for individuals who compulsively shop, the habit of constantly acquiring new items can lead to an overcrowded living space and make letting go of belongings increasingly challenging.
Dr. McGrath explains, “If your house is getting so full that you’re not able to use it for the purpose of it being a house, now we’re looking at hoarding.” For those experiencing both compulsive buying and hoarding tendencies, this pattern can create emotional and physical barriers, making it difficult to fully use and enjoy their living environment.
Using shopping as a distraction or emotional buffer
For some, shopping serves as a way to cope with difficult emotions. According to Dr. McGrath, “Some people are literally using stuff to build a wall around them to protect them.”
By focusing on shopping—whether browsing, adding items to a cart, or making a purchase—it can feel easier to distract yourself from facing uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. However, this habit may only offer short-term relief, ultimately standing in the way of addressing the deeper issues at play.
Feeling regret after purchases
Often, people with compulsive buying tendencies feel a short-lived thrill when they make a purchase, only to regret it once the item is home and they realize they don’t actually need or use it. Or, people feel regret because they know they can’t afford their purchase and they realize it puts them in further debt.
If you recognize any of these patterns in your shopping habits, it may be a sign that additional support could be beneficial. Taking time to understand the underlying motivations behind your shopping behaviors can help you develop healthier, more balanced habits and regain a sense of control.
Treatment for compulsive shopping disorder
If you feel like your shopping habits are getting out of control and impacting your life in negative ways, reaching out for support is a good idea. Seeking guidance from a mental health professional can help you understand why you’re drawn to shop this way and provide tools to help you manage the behavior. A therapist can work with you to pinpoint what’s behind these patterns, whether it’s an impulse control issue, hoarding tendencies, or something else.
If hoarding is part of the picture, for instance, therapy might focus on helping you regain a healthy relationship with your belongings and your space. Dr. McGrath explains, “My job is to help somebody start to work on discarding things, so that they can get back to using their home the way that their home was meant to be used. So that the kitchen can be used for cooking again, the bathroom can actually be used for going to the bathroom…or maybe even making enough room in the home to have someone come in to check the furnace.”
While each person’s path to managing compulsive shopping may look different, a therapist can help guide you through strategies tailored to your unique needs. Taking steps to seek help can be a powerful choice toward regaining control and creating a healthier relationship with shopping.
Is compulsive shopping disorder a form of OCD?
No, compulsive shopping disorder isn’t a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), nor is it directly related to it. It’s understandable that the term “compulsive” might make them sound similar, but viewing compulsive shopping as OCD can lead to misunderstandings about what people with OCD truly experience. OCD is a complex condition centered around anxiety and distress that’s very different from the impulse to buy items for pleasure or relief.
To understand why compulsive shopping differs from OCD, it helps to take a closer look at what OCD actually is. While both may involve repeated behaviors, OCD comes with unique experiences and challenges that set it apart from other types of compulsive actions.
Defining OCD
OCD is a mental health condition marked by intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that appear in the mind and cause significant distress. People with OCD perform compulsions, physical or mental actions, to find temporary relief from their obsessions. Unfortunately, this relief doesn’t last, creating a continuous cycle of OCD that can feel incredibly difficult to escape.
Key differences
Dr. McGrath, shares a helpful distinction between OCD and obsessive buying disorder: “If you’re getting enjoyment out of shopping and purchasing things, that’s different. I don’t know anyone with OCD who gets enjoyment out of compulsions.”
With OCD, compulsions aren’t something people do for pleasure—they’re actions taken to try to ease distress from unwanted thoughts. Dr. McGrath adds, “Just because we do something a lot doesn’t mean it’s obsessive-compulsive disorder.” Compulsive shopping, even though it involves repeated behavior, is driven by a different motivation and emotional experience.
The main difference is that compulsive buying tends to be driven by impulsivity or the desire for immediate satisfaction, while OCD compulsions are repetitive and done out of a need to relieve anxiety from intrusive thoughts.
How shopping comes up in OCD
While compulsive shopping disorder is not the same as OCD, themes of shopping can sometimes appear in OCD. For someone with OCD, shopping may become less about enjoyment and more about an intense need for certainty or perfection. Dr. McGrath explains, “Someone with OCD might buy a bunch of the same thing because they want to figure out which one is the best one. They might order ten of the same sweater and then when they get them they’ll look at all ten, investigate them, and decide which is the best one.”
In these cases, shopping is driven by an obsessive need to find the perfect item, rather than the thrill of purchasing. This approach can sometimes lead to practical challenges, such as having to return numerous items, or even being restricted from shopping at certain stores due to repeated purchases and returns.
The critical difference here is that, in OCD, shopping-related behaviors are a response to obsessive thoughts rather than a source of excitement or pleasure. Unlike compulsive buying disorder, where people may feel a temporary thrill or sense of relief, those with OCD rarely feel joy or satisfaction in completing their rituals.
Treatment for OCD
If you’re dealing with shopping habits that feel tied to OCD, know that you’re not alone in this struggle. Many people experience these patterns, and there’s a highly effective treatment that can make a difference: exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. ERP is a clinically-proven treatment specifically designed for OCD, and it’s helped countless people learn to manage their symptoms.
In ERP, your therapist works with you to gradually face your obsessions or triggers in a safe, supportive way. Through this process, you’ll learn to sit with your discomfort without needing to act on compulsions to relieve it. Over time, this practice helps you feel less and less controlled by your obsessions, giving you a sense of freedom that can feel life-changing.
How does ERP work for a shopping specific compulsion? Imagine your OCD makes you feel like you need to buy ten versions of the same shirt to make sure you get the one that’s “just right”—the one without any wrinkles or tiny flaws. In ERP, you might work with your therapist on buying just one shirt, and then practice sitting with the uncertainty about whether it’s perfect. This may be challenging at first, but each step brings you closer to feeling okay with imperfection and letting go of the need to control every detail.
ERP can feel hard in the beginning, but it’s a powerful way to take back control from OCD. With time, you can gain confidence in managing your triggers and start experiencing daily activities—like shopping—as something you truly enjoy, rather than something overshadowed by anxiety and second-guessing.
Bottom line
If your shopping habits have started to feel more like a burden than a source of enjoyment, it’s okay to reach out for help. Compulsive buying behaviors can bring up real challenges that affect your daily life, finances, and well-being. Whether you’re facing patterns that feel out of control, impulses to shop for comfort, or an urge to buy in search of perfection, there are ways to regain balance. Working with a mental health professional can help you understand what’s truly driving these habits.
If you’re dealing with OCD, exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach to help manage the anxiety and compulsions tied to obsessive thoughts. If hoarding tendencies are part of the picture, your therapist can guide you in creating a healthier relationship with your belongings and living space.
No matter the underlying cause of your shopping issues, there’s a path toward finding relief. Getting the right support can make shopping a more balanced activity, rather than a source of stress or regret.