Purchase craze continues to increase: Therapy places are not sufficient

Purchase craze is just as far common in Germany as depression. In the meantime there is proven therapies, which help concerning from the craze, the demand exceeds however meanwhile the therapy places, which there are in this country.


Attain Ludwigshafen - at the first sight Michael Neuner was shaken. In the cellar of the woman the bags to under the cover piled up themselves, as far as the eye is enough. Not possibly to also only enter the area. From the shopping bags articles of clothing, on which still the labels hung, poured untouched and ungetragen. The shock sits deeply, although Michael Neuner knows long: The lady is purchase addicted. It contacted it, because it concerns itself at the transatlantic institute of the college of further education in Ludwigshafen with the diseased purchase.

Ever more and ever more expensively

The concerning would feel the irresistible urge to buy, say Neuner. At the sight of the commodity they lose any control and feel in a forced manner to slam shut. Untreatedly this impulse control disturbance accepts ever more drastic extents: It is bought ever more and ever more expensively. Only for the moment the purchase action makes itself thereby a feeling of the satisfaction broadly, that shortly thereafter
into debt feelings however often changes, because the concerning it becomes conscious that they transacted an unnecessary provision.

“Nearly always buy the products concerned, which never use it, which keep it then at home or” Neuner give away, describe. Pretty often the behavior disturbance is noticeable only if the account slips due to the constant expenditures in the minus. The existence-threatening situation does not make it possible then longer to lock before the mental problem the eyes.

Purchase craze is as far common as depression

Although the phenomenon of the purchase craze hardly made speeches so far of itself, it is just as far common as depressions. The Leipziger psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin described it already at the beginning 20. Century as “Oniomanie”. In the meantime about, calculated the Ludwigshafener purchase craze researcher is purchase-look for-endangered eight per cent of the Germans on the basis an inquiry. “I assume the number will continue to rise”, says Neuner.

Women and men prefer thereby different products: While to shoes, clothes, Kosmetika or food seizes you, it avails itself with electronic devices and sports articles. With the purchases the concerning compensate a self value feeling lacking or displace fears, describe Neuner some the causes. In addition, the temptations of the Shoppings were never larger than today. Special offers signs at each corner, commodity can be acquired in rates or on credit, and in the Internet is enough even more only one click. The money disappears meanwhile quietly and invisibly from the purse.

Behavior therapy analyzes purchase behavior

Although the purchase craze ruins many households burdening and relations, so far nobody had systematically examined, how can be helped to the concerning. Martina de Zwaan of the Psychosomati and Psychotherapeuti department of the University of attaining Nuremberg closed this gap now. It submitted of ten weeks a group of 62 purchase-addicted long one
Behavior therapy.

First the purchase behavior was analyzed, all purchases had to be logged. “An indispensable first step is, between inadequate and appropriate purchases to differentiate”, describes it. “The group dynamics constitute thereby very much because the concerning can expose themselves mutually better.” In the reality the useless provisions often become as necessary
justified. A female patient umdekoriert for example once in the month their dwelling and had to buy Deko articles for it constantly. Only after the unnecessary purchases are uncovered, becomes in that
Therapy searched for possible causes.

With this working method de Zwaan could achieve a large success: All participants profited of the group therapy. A great many could control their inclination to buy. A half year after
nobody had suffered a relapse, how she reports in the “journal OF Clinical Psychiatry”. Somewhat less effectively the therapy proved with those participants, those the bought products strongholds. One must include that strongholds into the therapy, believes de Zwaan. It would like to develop the therapy further for it.

“Absolute Abstinenz cannot be a therapy goal”

The concerning will not have healed in addition, after the therapy - similarly as alcohol or drug-dependent. They will feel the urge again and again to buy much. It becomes also back cases
give, get straight de Zwaan. Buy is socially appreciative, neither tabuisiert nor dispensable like drug consumption. “Absolute Abstinenz can be no therapy goal”, says the Erlanger female scientist. Purchase-susceptible mind must learn to deal with their Faible and to understand a unique shopping frenzy as warning signal, in order to seize measures.

Since the Erlanger offers group of therapy meetings for purchase-addicted, announce themselves more and more concerning. Long the places in the courses are not sufficient. De Zwaan hopes now that other Psychotherapeuten likewise offers the specific therapy. (strip packing)