Are you a shopaholic or are you depressed?

That sounds more like A cross between bipolar and OCD...

Have you asked yourself why shopping makes you feel better? Do it make you feel more important? Do you just like to be in public? .. You can always walk in and out of stores and not buy things.. if you do not need anything. Do you just like the feel of paying? ... Or Money in your hands?...... Your last line maybe it.. "I would shop because I was in control of the money" If this is real, and you can keep from stealing or borrowing and you enjoy being in control of money. You may want to look for a type of occupation where you are. Maybe you love working with numbers... And maybe want to look into accounting :) .... or something. but it sounds likes as another Stated OCD and Bipolar.. Its common to want to engaged into an activity you love doing.. such as shopping in a compulsive manner. This is where you should learn to set yourself some serious limits, so you are not running yoruself into debt, or stealing from others.... I only get the shopaholic bug to bite me when it comes to books. I am the opposite. Its hard to drag me to go out shopping, so most of what I wear is given to my by my older sister... who wears the same size clothes I do. She IS a shopaholic so keeps overbuyingh and them in the fall and spring has plenty to give away or sell are rummaged sales later.. So at least out of her habit, she has turned it around and donates, however she has a very very high paying and demanding job too so she can afford to do so.. without to much trouble.... So many people love her for helping them out. The key is to learn to balance it out, so it can be changed from an unheathy habit to a healthy one. Take care! :) .

Yes, I have both. Your psychiatrist is right. I find myself shopping when I am at my most depressed and feeling out of control. Clothes are what I shop for. I found 10 bags of clothes one day that I had never even taken out of the bag and hung in the closet after I got home with them. I was too depressed to go out and wear them or even hang them up. Keep getting counciling and maybe your doctor will even give you meds. Depression can be controlled with a combination of both. I don't think either one alone is the answer. Good luck to you.

I think that it could be a sign of depression. I too love to shop like that but I have to stop myself. I have had trouble with depression for the past couple of years and maybe that is my problem too.