The focus: why more and more Germans will fall into their addiction

Five percent of Germans are classified as addicted to buy, and the tendency is rising. Researchers at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) have increasingly identified causes that lead to addiction to buy. These include shopping campaigns such as Black Friday and personalized online advertising. Currently, 20 buyers are treated at the UKSH in Lübeck.

buying addiction was recently recognized as an independent addiction, while it was previously considered an impulse control disorder. Those affected often spend up to 6,000 euros per month for their addiction. An example of this is Nicole Müller, who spends considerable money for decorative items and online games, but has no debts. Two essential factors for addiction to buy are the activation of the reward center in the brain and the distraction of negative feelings, such as depression. It is also worth noting that buying is often associated with other diseases, which makes treatment difficult.

Diagnosis and treatment of addiction addiction

The criteria for addiction to buy include a strong desire (craving), intensive dealing with shopping, loss of control and buying unnecessary things. Buying addicts tend to hide their behavior, which is why they often feel shame and guilt. Early treatment seems to improve the forecast considerably; However, many affected people are only looking for help late.

therapy approaches include drugs for the treatment of underlying diseases such as depression and cognitive behavioral therapy. The therapy goal is to recognize the trigger of the addiction and to develop strategies to recover control. Complete abstinence from shopping is not considered possible; Instead, therapists strive for more conscious use of purchasing. Nicole Müller, who currently spend 1,500 euros per month for your purchases, has set itself the goal of reducing this amount to 200 to 500 euros.

In addition, the trade association estimates that around 250 million euros in Schleswig-Holstein are spent on bargains, which is based on the widespread problem of buying addiction. According to further research, the symptoms of buying buy are diverse. This includes intellectual accommodation through shopping, financial and social damage as well as spontaneous, unplanned and impulsive purchases. In particular, the dopamine release when buying buying is greatly increased when buying more, which leads to a loss of control.

Although buying addiction is not officially classified as an independent illness, it is led as "compulsive purchase shopping disorder". Therapy approaches focus on behavioral therapy to control buying impulses and on drug treatments in order to address the underlying negative sensations. The treatment costs can usually be billed with health insurance companies. The causes of the addiction to buy have not yet been clarified, but values from the early phase of life and the purchase as a coping strategy play a role. About 5 % of people in Germany are affected, with younger women up to 45 years of being affected by buying buying. Other risk factors are the use of credit cards and online trading. Online shopping is even more attractive through comfortable one-click orders and personalized recommendations, which increases the risk of buying buying.