Shopaholic.

Lately, I’ve been a little worried that I’ve become one. I just spent another lunch hour shopping (it’s Bay Days, come on!). I don’t really need new clothes: I’m certain that I have enough outfits to last me an entire month without ever wearing the same outfit twice. Maybe two months. Probably three.

As many women (and some men) know, shopping just FEELS good. When I’m down (as I have been lately, with probably-not-big-deal worries like money, dental pain, friends, my messed up foot, work, etc. the usual), the top five things that make always make me feel better are:

1. Working out
2. Spending time and talking with friends/people I’m close with
3. Eating, drinking and cooking
4. Doing creative stuff
5. Shopping

#1 is out of the question right now, since I wrecked the tendons in my foot last week. This is a huge bummer for me, since I usually spend 3-4 of my lunch hours running or at the gym, and I don’t know how to fill the time otherwise (okay, I do: shopping). #2 is also kind of out, because most of the people I’m close with are either absorbed in their own drama, shutting me out, or out of town right now. I don’t think it’s a good idea to stuff my face when I’m not working out, and I’m too busy to do any more creative side projects. So that just leaves shopping.

Lots of shopping.

I don’t think it’s a huge mystery why shopping makes us feel better. When we can’t feel good, we want to LOOK good, and fashion shopping is the answer. Having new clothes, makeup, jewelry gives us a temporary boost in self-image… even if nobody around us can tell the difference.

Just about everyone has some sort of material addiction. Tech-nerds break the bank on every latest gadget, millionaire, collect vintage cars, and 9-year-old girls harass their parents until they have every single My Little Pony. There are movie stars who have entire rooms filled with shoes (not to mention @that_angela), and the suburbs are filled with 3-storey homes filled with… stuff. So I shouldn’t be too hard on myself for a little shopping addiction.

But, still, it would be nice to know that I could make myself feel better without shopping. Or any of my other usual “fixes” for that matter (I tell myself that going for a run to feel better is a good thing, but what happens if I find myself permanently disabled and unable to do that?). I guess until I find divine internal happiness (maybe I need to re-read Eat, Pray, Love or something), the best I can do is balance out my vices… a little shoe sale here, a little chocolate there, and a few Caesars after a hard day.

To give myself some assurance, I did a little bit of research on whether or not I’m truly addicted. I took this questionnaire on alcoholism, and just replaced “drinking” with “shopping”, Take the test and see how you check out.

1. Do you lose time from work due to your shopping?
2. Is shopping making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you shop because you are shy with other people?
4. Is shopping affecting your reputation?
5. Have you ever felt remorse after shopping?
6. Have you gotten into financial dificulties as a result of your shopping?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when shopping?
8. Does your shopping make you careless of your family’s welfare?
9. Has your ambition decreased since shopping?
10. Do you crave shopping at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want to shop the next morning?
12. Does shopping cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since shopping?
14. Is shopping jeopardizing your job or business?
15. Do you shop to escape from worries or troubles?
16. Do you shop alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of your shopping?
18. Has your physician ever treated you for shopping?
19. Do you shop to build up your self-confidence?
20. Have you ever been in a hospital or institution on account of shopping?