[marglo]

This is a great article. Unfortunately I was addicted in this way for several years and really racked up a lot of debt! I know in my case it was brought on by depression relating to going through problems with our oldest daughter. I wasn't able to handle the stress and pain and also felt resentful because I had never spent much on myself, preferring to spend on my children. At the time I enjoyed it, but when I was so terribly hurt, I began to resent the sacrifice and decided it was "my turn." I would get a high from buying...toward the end of this ...it was over about a 10 year period I'd say...I was going shopping on my lunch break, risking being late going back to work, buying things I already had, didn't need and often didn't even wear. It was only when I decided I wanted to retire that I was able to stop. By this time I no longer needed to buy to feel good about myself and so it was not hard to stop, but it was hard to get all the debts paid off!