Credit Control

Her modus operandi was to give herself a target. 8216;8216;I8217;d decide to spend a certain amount of money that day and buy anything I could lay my hands on to finish off the quota.8217;8217; Salian remembers blowing up close to Rs 60,000 on most binges.

8216;8216;I8217;ve thrown out everything I bought during those years. It wasn8217;t even stuff that necessarily looked good on me. I8217;d just keep buying because I couldn8217;t stop,8217;8217; she admits. Her profligacy was not a problem because 8216;8216;I8217;d fooled myself into thinking I was fine because I stuck to my budget8217;8217;.

According to Dr Amit Desai, a consulting psychiatrist at Mumbai8217;s Jaslok Hospital, shopping is an activity most people don8217;t see as abnormal, so they don8217;t opt for counselling when it gets out of hand. But it8217;s a disorder if the money or time spent interferes with an individual8217;s job or other activities.

Attending to four to five cases like Salian8217;s every month, Dr Ashit Sheth, consulting psychiatrist at Bombay Hospital, is no stranger to pathological extravagance. He remembers a manic patient who kept buying so much furniture that her home resembled an obstacle course. In another case, both partners had a shopping obsession. She8217;d fill her wardrobe with clothes, most of which were never worn; he was a tech junkie, so their electronics and other gadgets were replaced every three months.

Shrinks now categorise compulsive shopping as addictive behaviour8212;the first clinical description of the disorder was published as far back as 19158212;no different from alcoholism, gambling or good old gluttony. Shopaholics buy things when they are feeling low, and nine out of ten victims are women. 8216;8216;Men prefer to gamble,8217;8217; says Dr Sheth.

Typically, their lives are filled with white elephants, from unused clothes with the price tags still on, to designer sunglasses that will probably never see the light of day. Asked why they do it, many claim to 8216;black out8217; during the purchase, unable to recall when they bought the item. Famous shopaholics include Jackie O and Princess Di; some like Imelda Marcos combine profligacy with a fashion fetish, recklessly buying shoes, jewellery or handbags.

But hey, not all big shoppers are basket cases. Mumbai socialite Anu Diwan gets her retail fix twice a week. Despite her hectic social life, Diwan tries not to repeat the same outfit for at least six months. 8216;8216;I have a major thing for dressing up and, as I go out often, I have to shop,8217;8217; she says matter-of-factly. Her sprees aren8217;t pathological, and discretion is the dividing line. 8216;8216;If I don8217;t find something I like, I won8217;t buy.8217;8217;

Of course, for those who simply can8217;t purse their purses, there8217;s the ubiquitous designer pill: Citalopram, a standard antidepressant, known to reduce impulse shopping, even in diehard addicts. But if you suspect you8217;re one, start with a more practical approach:

8226; Cancel that credit card
8226; Leave home with only a small amount of cash, or better still, leave your wallet at home
8226; Distract yourself. When you feel out of control, leave the shop and take a hike. Literally.