Having a shopping addiction may be more common than some believe. Many people don’t think this kind of addiction is serious but in reality it can interfere with the functioning of an individual, and it can cloud their judgment. People who suffer from any kind of addiction usually don’t like to admit it, but like they say, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Here are a couple signs that may indicate you have a shopping addiction.

1. Feeling anxious or upset when you are not shopping

If the thought of not being inside a shopping center swiping your debit card makes you feel uneasy, then you should be concerned. Turning to online shopping when you are not able to physically be at the mall and adding numerous of things to your shopping cart to buy is what shopaholics tend to do.

2. Go shopping to release stress or other emotions

Many turn to shopping when they feel stressed or maybe even angry, this is called compulsive shopping. This kind of shopping helps a person forget about their problems, but it doesn’t fix them. It is not healthy to run away from your problems by spending money, it’s better to just face them before they get worse.

3. Feeling guilty after shopping and overspending on things you didn’t plan to buy

The feeling of guilt comes to people who are addicted to shopping because they realize that they overspent on things that weren’t needed. This guilt also comes from the fact that they either spent too much money or they spent money that they don’t have.

4. Experience a rush of excitement when buying things

Getting an adrenaline rush or a “high” from purchasing things can become quite addicting. Shopaholics get this rush of excitement not from owning a lot of things, but from the pleasure it makes them feel when buying something new.

5. Having unopened or tagged items in your closet

Look in your closet. What do you see? How many tagged items do you have? Buying things that you don’t need lead you to not use them. This then leads you to run out of space in your closet and begin to hoarder the things that you thought you might have needed one day.