To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop


Buy It Now!

Book examines compulsive buying
(October 2009 Issue)

“To Buy or Not to Buy:
Why We Overshop and How to Stop”
By April Lane Benson
Trumpeter Books
Boston, Mass., 2008

By James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA

The problem of compulsive buying has caught the attention of mental health professionals. Like other behavioral addictions, the compulsive buyer finds it hard to resist urges that when acted upon, ultimately cause discomfort, interpersonal strife and negative self-image. Compulsive buying, in particular, can have devastating financial outcomes.

"To Buy or Not To Buy," authored by psychologist April Lane Benson, is a self-help book for people concerned about excessive buying, wasteful spending and over-shopping. Beyond the rampant commercialism found in traditional shopping venues (stores, malls), the book targets other sales outlets such as television, catalogs and the Internet. Benson's message is that consumers must be aware of many sources of buying temptation.

Several themes run through the book. On the topic of why a person buys compulsively, Benson concludes, "Overshopping is a coping mechanism, a way you temporarily distract yourself from authentic personal needs that aren't being met." Coping, perhaps, is not the correct word, rather that people who buy compulsively do so because the immediate pleasure is stronger than delayed and more desirable consequences (saving money, avoiding debt).

Another theme, and a strength of the book, is knowing the situational triggers that occasion compulsive buying. Benson advises writing down internal and external cues associated with erratic purchasing in order to detect patterns that can be altered systematically. She provides many forms and decision matrices to guide this process.

There are other helpful sections of the book. I liked the emphasis on "financial health" for skillfully making choices about buying and what you really need. Writing in a journal is another good recommendation for detecting contextual influences that lead to over-spending. And there are numerous exercises that will assist readers in selecting behavior-change objectives.

How to treat compulsive buying? Benson's recommendations combine cognitive behavioral techniques, prevention strategies, following a "shopping patterns checklist" and recruiting support from significant others. Her focus is empirical - pick a few procedures, try them out and see if they work.

As a self-help book, "To Buy or Not To Buy" would be a valuable resource for people who want to curb their seemingly out-of-control buying habits. Psychologists and other mental health professionals also could use the book as a therapy guide. I note, however, that treatment procedures for compulsive buying, including many in this book, have not been research validated. Indeed, the diagnostic criteria for compulsive buying are not firmly established. Nonetheless, this book instructs wisely about the problem of compulsive buying and how it might be reasonably overcome.

James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA, is senior vice president, applied research, clinical training and peer review at the May Institute in Norwood, Mass.