Mild to Serious Obsessive-compulsive disorders can lead to retail happiness.

Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) is characterized by excessive shopping cognitions and buying behaviour that leads to distress or impairment.

Work by DW Black in 2007 found that, worldwide, this disorder has a lifetime prevalence of around 6% of any western population

Most people studied clinically are women (approximately 80%), though this gender difference may be just because researchers think more women shop than men. Subjects with CBD report a preoccupation with shopping, pre-purchase tension or anxiety, and a sense of relief following the purchase.

CBD is associated with significant other psychological issues, particularly mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and other disorders of impulse control.

The majority of people with CBD appear to meet criteria for other diagnosable disorders, although there is no special "shopping" personality listed.

Compulsive shopping tends to run in families, and these families are quite often associated with mood and substance use disorders. There are no standard treatments.

It is a fact that people can be helped by the use of antidepressants. People who have obsessive-compulsive shopping disorder or CBD have responded well through the use of antidepressants. By “well” we mean that that they have been able to control their CBD.

So, that trip to the mall to buy a new top or a jumper you have had your eye on for some time might by symptomatic of an obsession. (Most likely not, but if frequent, then it may be so).

And as with any obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there are no racial, financial, social or gender differences. Someone as wealthy as a media mogul or as poor as an unskilled factory worker can experience OCD.

It is the same for people who shop frequently.

The mere fact that there are even terms for this: Obsessive Shopping Disorder or Compulsive Buying Disorder indicates such a disorder exists.

Obviously budgets prevail sometimes

Whilst there is significant empirical evidence for this disorder, anecdotally we have all witnessed, as well as heard many stories about, people who, despite a recession and often a shortage of personal finances are determined to shop for the latest fashion or trend.

There are many women who, despite being far from well off, will never wear last season's fashion. They have to buy the latest season's fashion no matter what.

Think of several people who cannot live without the latest in computer technology, and are obsessive about buying even before the latest products are out, by ordering ahead.

CBD Exists With High and Low Ticket Items

Interviews with 100 car dealers (Benchmark Research 2010) revealed that there was an average 6% of new car buyers who had to own the latest in certain brands of motor cars, despite the clear knowledge that they will lose a small fortune on the trade-in. in fact, many had lost huge sums of money over five or more trade-ins.

The car dealers love these customers, foster their CBD by taking them on special “drive days” and bombarding them with literature about the next models to appear in Europe.

The same applies to smaller ticket items as well. Department store and boutiques send out pre-sale offers to frequent shoppers, invite them to viewings of next year’s fashions and so on.

Surely it’s all just “marketing”? But it could also be catering to people with a disorder  they need to recognize and often need to control.