Overcoming any addiction requires learning alternative ways of handling the stress and distress of everyday existence. This can be done independently, but people often benefit from counseling or therapy. In the meantime, there is a lot you can do to reduce the harm of compulsive spending and get the problematic behavior under control. Developing your own spending plan can be a good first step.
Other steps you can take that might help include:
Develop other coping strategies: Finding alternative ways of enjoying your leisure time is essential to breaking the cycle of using shopping as a way of trying to feel better about yourself.
Enlist the help of others: If someone else in your family can take responsibility for shopping for essentials, such as food and household items, it can help to delegate the responsibility to them, at least temporarily, while you seek help.
Limit access to credit and cash: It is a good idea to get rid of credit cards and keep only a small amount of emergency cash on you, so you can't impulse buy.
Don't shop with other compulsive shoppers: Shopping only with friends or relatives who do not compulsively spend is also a good idea, as they can help curb your spending.
