It is Saturday morning. You wake with a lightness that feels rare and well-earned. The day carries a quiet sense of anticipation because it holds something simple and satisfying: a trip to the shops.
You plan to choose an outfit that makes you feel confident, pick up a few essentials for the house, perhaps find something small for the children, and pause for a proper coffee while the world moves around you. The experience feels productive and comforting at the same time.
By Sunday, there is a sense of completion. Your hard-earned money has been exchanged for things that feel useful, enjoyable, or both, and that exchange brings a calm kind of contentment.
For most people, the story ends there.
However, for nearly four million people in the United Kingdom, the morning after feels very different. Instead of satisfaction, there is unease. Instead of calm, there may be a tightening in the chest as bank balances are checked and purchases are reconsidered.
These are individuals living with compulsive spending, often described as shopping addiction or compulsive buying disorder. What begins as a harmless treat can gradually shift into a pattern that feels difficult to manage.
What Is Compulsive Spending?
Compulsive spending is a pattern of behaviour in which a person feels a strong and recurring urge to buy things, even when those purchases are unnecessary or financially harmful. It goes beyond the occasional impulse buy that most people experience. Instead, it involves a repetitive cycle in which shopping becomes closely tied to emotional regulation.
For many individuals, spending serves as a way to manage uncomfortable feelings such as stress, anxiety, loneliness, or low mood. The anticipation of a purchase can bring a sense of excitement or relief. Completing the transaction may provide a brief emotional lift, creating the impression that the discomfort has eased. However, that relief is usually temporary. It is often followed by guilt, regret, or renewed worry about money. As those difficult feelings return, the urge to spend can reappear, and the cycle begins again.
Over time, this pattern can lead to mounting debt, secrecy around finances, and strain within relationships. The emotional toll can be significant, affecting sleep, concentration, and self-esteem.
Regaining Control Over Compulsive Borrowing
The approaches below offer a starting point for restoring balance.
1. Start with clarity
Gather a full picture of the situation. List every debt, its interest rate, its minimum payment, and its total balance. Seeing the numbers in one place may feel uncomfortable, yet it replaces vague anxiety with concrete information.
2. Remove immediate triggers
Delete stored card details from online retailers. Unsubscribe from marketing emails. Uninstall shopping apps that encourage impulse decisions. Place credit cards somewhere physically out of reach and use debit or cash for daily expenses. Increasing friction slows automatic behaviour and allows time for reflection.
3. Create a short pause rule
Introduce a 24- or 48-hour waiting period before any non-essential purchase. During that pause, ask what emotion is present. Boredom, stress, loneliness, and fatigue often sit behind the urge to borrow or spend. Naming the emotion reduces its power.
4. Build an emergency buffer, even if small
Saving a modest amount each week creates psychological security. A £10 or £20 weekly transfer to a separate account signals progress and reduces reliance on credit for unexpected expenses.
5. Seek professional debt advice early
In the UK, organisations such as StepChange, National Debtline, and Citizens Advice offer free and confidential support. They can negotiate with creditors, help structure repayment plans, and reduce interest pressure. Their volunteers can also help you review past agreements to ensure the interest applied was fair and transparent. For instance, in recent years, concerns around discretionary commission arrangements in car finance have raised questions about whether some borrowers paid inflated rates without clear disclosure. Where this applies, exploring a potential PCP claim may form part of restoring financial balance.
6. Address the emotional driver
Cognitive behavioural therapy has shown strong results in helping people understand and manage impulse-driven spending. A therapist can help identify thought loops, such as “I deserve this” or “This will make me feel better”, and replace them with healthier responses.
A Healthier Relationship With Money
Addressing compulsive borrowing is an act of self-care. Seeking advice, reviewing agreements, setting boundaries, and asking for support all represent practical steps toward protecting mental health. Financial clarity reduces uncertainty, and reduced uncertainty allows the nervous system to settle. Over time, consistent habits restore confidence.
Wellbeing thrives where understanding replaces judgement and where knowledge replaces fear. By recognising the link between money habits and mental health, you can move toward a future defined by stability and confidence.
Photo Credit:
Photo 1, Credit to Freepik || Photo 2, Credit to Freepik (CC0 1.0)
