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Bipolar? Excessive Shopping a Problem?

December 27, 2017 By Vivian

At this time of year the traditional boxing day sales are a major event in our Australian culture.  Millions are spent on bargains of all sorts. This has a positive effect on the economy and may families use their Christmas vouchers to buy things that mean something to them.  

The is a downside to excessive shopping that is not often discussed.  Buying “things” for the point of having more “things” can be sign of or symptom of mental health issues.  Please be aware that going on a one off shopping binge can be a totally novel or new experience, and can be part of exploring doing things differently for mental healthy individuals.  Excessive shopping becomes a problem when it becomes excessive or crosses the normal boundaries of what is reasonable.  

Here are some mental health conditions that are often linked to excessive shopping:

  • Hoarding is a condition that affects about 2-5% of the community.  One of the key symptoms of this condition is collection and retention of excessive possessions.  This doesn’t refer to those that collect items and have capacity to store a collection.  Hoarding is when individuals collect items that often have little monetary value and those collections exceed the reasonable capacity of the place in which they are stored.  Most individuals who excessively collect items will not present to any treatment, as it is one of the least recognised mental health conditions. Individuals who hoard are often very anxious about losing possessions if they open up to someone about their situation.  The most concerning health issues that occur from hoarding include dangerous living conditions where mould, vermin or other environmental dangers accumulate.  The individuals in the home can become seriously ill and health professionals will not understand why the person continues to be sick. The home also becomes a fire hazard, and escaping a home where there is hoarding may pose serious risk those living in the home. The primary treatment is counselling around the anxiety of losing possessions and finding new ways to think about the condition.

 

  • Narcissism is a personality trait where we want to make ourselves look better than others.  Everyone has moments of time when they are self-centred.  For some people this becomes more than just a feel good moment. Those who suffer from low self esteem if they don’t have possessions can become obsessed with collecting valuable items.  These possessions are used as projection of how they want others to value them. In Western culture this way of valuing individual  success through possessions is common.  What is problematic and dangerous is when possessions become more important than people.  For example, if a young child drops an ice cream in an expensive new car, some people will react terribly and punish the child because the car is more valuable than the child. They won’t be able to evaluate that a child is unable to reasonably control their actions in a situation like this. This devaluing of humans, lacking empathy and valuing the possessions is perhaps a point where it becomes mental health concern. About 5-6% of adults have this disorder.

 

  • Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder where an individual is at times depressed and other times in hyperactive or in a  “manic” state.  About 1-2% of the population has this condition but most are not aware of it for over 10 years after symptoms appear.  This particular disorder is a little more extreme and a person who is manic may show erratic behaviour that is not normal.  The erratic behaviours include rapid speech where they cannot slow down, significantly reduced sleep for days, often weight loss, intelligent persons can end up embarking on projects that seem unreasonable, and they appear to be hyped up and unable to slow down.  Excessive shopping in this state is dangerous because an individual may be unaware how to stop shopping. Those with bipolar will be aware at a point in the future that they have made a mistake and suffer financial loss for spending money on items that were not needed. About 50% of the population with bipolar are unaware they have this condition.  Awareness of the condition, support from others, maintaining sleep and diet and other such lifestyle changes can have a big impact on decreasing the risk of future episodes. In rare situations a person loses contact with reality and emergency medical help will be needed.

 

All of these conditions have specific counselling treatments that can reduce symptoms.  The biggest problem is knowing about the condition sooner rather than later. Treating these disorders before disasters occur can help the person avoid future pain and suffering. Waiting till a person needs hospitalisation is unfortunately how these conditions are treated. If we could reach out to those with these condition earlier we could save those individuals much heartache and grief.  All three conditions are a little stubborn in nature and self-help often only goes so far to helping, and don’t tend to resolve without professional support by someone skilled in the treatment of those conditions.

For more information on our website dedicated to mood disorders like depression and treatment.

Author: Vivian Jarrett

Director Vision Psychology and M1 Psychology in Brisbane

 

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Loneliness and Depression

July 20, 2017 By Vivian

Loneliness can cause depression and often happens when life goes wrong. Sometimes we can lose a loved one, relationships change, children grow up or we may move on to a new job or country.  Claire Pang, Clinical Psychologist has written an article on what causes loneliness. To read more…

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Combatting stress and burnout

February 6, 2017 By Manager

A little bistress and burnout - robott of stress can be good for you. It can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to get the work done. However, if constant stress is leaving you feeling overwhelmed, helpless and completely worn out, you may be suffering from burnout. Psychologist Amanda Hansen explains the difference between stress and burnout and how to prevent reaching breaking point.

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Depression and exercise

August 18, 2016 By Manager

exercise helps depressionResearch has found that regular physical activity is an effective natural treatment for depression in people of all ages. Exercise does not have to be vigorous to help in the prevention and treatment of depression. Evidence suggests that as little as a 20-30 minute brisk walk everyday can be beneficial. Clinical psychologist Dr David Wells explains how exercise can benefit the mind and body. To read more…

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What is happiness and how can we get more of it?

August 4, 2015 By Manager

We all want to be happy. Happinesswhat is happiness is important but is it possible to find lasting happiness? Psychologist Greg Turner says ‘yes!’ While it is unrealistic to be happy all of the time, Greg explains that there is a strong link between happiness and our sense of self. People can learn to understand their sense of self, what happiness means to them and how to go about living a life that aligns with their needs for happiness. To read more…

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Defining Depression

January 15, 2015 By Manager

Depression is fairly common; sometimes people experience it after a major change in their lives although there may be no apparent triggering event.

One in four women and one in six males will be depressed at some stage of their life. Most people use the word depression as a way to describe a time when they feel down, lose interest in things that normally are fun, and when they pull away from social events.

Major depression is when those negative feelings become overwhelming and the person experiences physical symptoms, such as weight gain or loss, sleeping difficulties for most of every day for 1-2 weeks or more.

There are many ways that people experience depression and different ways of treating types of depression.  Individuals with supportive networks often recover more quickly.  It is important to identify the cause of depression as part of working out how to treat it, and to prevent it from reoccurring.

Postnatal depression or PND is the term given when depression follows the birth of a baby, usually within the first two years. About 16% of women will have postnatal depression. Antenatal depression occurs during pregnancy and is as common as PND.  Depression during pregnancy often leads to depression after the baby is born, so it is important to identify and work through ways to improve mood and happiness during pregnancy.

What causes depression?

Depression is caused by many factors, such as:

  • lack of positive relationships;
  • financial hardship;
  • conflict at home or work;
  • poor diet and sleeping routine;
  • past trauma;
  • misuse of alcohol or other substances;
  • lack of exercise;
  • physical illnesses; and
  • burnout from a poor work-life balance.

Some families are inherently more vulnerable to developing depression which is important to know as there are many things you can do to build resilience and improve your ability to cope in adverse circumstances. Depression may occur due to a major life change such as having a baby, entering or leaving a relationship or onset of a major illness.

What helps?

The good news is that there are many ways to help yourself and others with depression. By reading some of the links on this website you will find information and ideas for self-help.

The journey to personal recovery is driven by you and finding the right sort of help is important. You might connect with your friends and family and seek positive relationships, make lifestyle changes and change things that are clearly problematic. Your GP should be involved in treatment as there are many physical health problems that can cause depression.

Counselling is helpful for depression as it provides a sounding board for changing the way we feel and think about situations that cause distress.

Psychologists provide counselling for depression and current research supports that some therapies such as Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help.  Many people find a decrease in symptoms within the first couple of visits and are able to identify and better manage the cause of the negative emotions and feelings of hopelessness.

Some people have more complex situations for which they will need long term support, such as leaving a relationship or managing workplace bullying.  Counselling helps by improving coping, resilience, confidence and self-esteem and skills for communicating more effectively.

To book an appointment with one of our psychologists, to discuss your concerns about depression, freecall 1800 877 924 today.

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