How to (possibly) heal a shopping addiction
I have few addictions that are socially acceptable. Mainly I work too much, move too much, and shop too much.
On the shopping one, here’s how I’m (possibly) healing it.
Put nearly everything into storage.
Pretend to “shop” there so I get my dopamine fix on discovering a thing.
Or “shop” at a thrift (with used goods) store to spend a few dollars (and regularly donate back so the system is “sustainable”).
Eventually (I hope to) realize that I have enough stuff and I can go out buy things when I actually need or want something, and not as a compulsion for a temporary dopamine fix that will later leave me a mess and guilt.
Repeat until I stop.
I’ve been doing this and I did get a satisfying amount of joy when I found an old item that I knew I had somewhere but did not know where it went.
Special thanks to the folks who let me give away my things to them as it assuages my enviro-guilt.