In the months of November, December and January there are a series of commercial events that promote and boost consumption. These are the days such as Black Friday, CyberMonday, as well as the days before Christmas and the January sales, when consumers find offers that they “can’t miss”. With this bait thrown, many people show a tendency to an excessive and uncontrolled consumption, in which it is hard to stop and think about whether they need this or that and without considering the consequences that these purchases may have on the personal or family economy.
People with disorders such as Impulse Control Disorder, compulsive shopping addiction, borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder, the aforementioned dates may even aggravate their problem or create difficulties, especially if the person is in recovery.
For Mental Health specialists, dealing with these commercial phenomena, which have such an impact on society, involves working with patients and their families beforehand, informing them that these days may represent a risky situation.
People with compulsive pathologies
In the case of those people who suffer from a pathology related to compulsion -understanding as such term the inability to slow down or stop an impulse-, there is a high sense of anxiety, as well as intense thoughts that believe that they will only find calm in the moment in which they obtain what they want. However, most of these people suffer from an emotional void that they will not be able to fill with purchases.
People with other vulnerable profiles
On the other hand, there is another profile of patients in whom this phenomenon can generate a good number of impulses that will set in motion the tendency related to their problem.
Some people may see in these events, where there is a large influx of people, an opportunity to commit theft. For others, it will be easier to get carried away by the euphoria that floats in the atmosphere without stopping to reflect on their actions. Disorders such as Antisocial Disorder or Borderline Disorder could be examples of this.
Tips to overcome these commercial phenomena
In the face of these situations, health professionals recommend protecting oneself, that is, that any person susceptible to risk should try to stay away from these situations, as well as avoiding going into stores or large supermarkets and not making purchases during these days. Subsequently, it is recommended that each person should explore how he/she has experienced this situation, that is, if he/she has been able to stay away from it. If the answer is no, a reflection would be recommended to assess the possible difficulties and the possible consequences of their actions and behaviors as well as to help them improve their self-control and self-control.
To varying degrees, we may all have difficulties in this regard and some guidelines may be helpful:
- Be cautious.
- Be clear in advance what we need and make a list.
- Mark the amount of money you want to spend and do not carry extra money.
- Leave the credit card at home and only carry just enough cash for what you want to buy.
- Be aware that we have at our disposal any product at any time, so it is not necessary to fall into haste. We can give ourselves time to reflect.
In case you have some kind of difficulty in controlling what you buy or you spend more money than you should and this is causing you some kind of family or personal problem, contact a specialist. At ITA Mental Health Specialists we can help you.