Some important questions to ask yourself if you think you may need compulsive shopping therapy:

A=Almost Always O=Once in Awhile

I=Infrequently N=Not at all

• Do you buy things you want even if you know at that moment you do not have the money to pay for it?
• Is it difficult for you to save money?
• When you have some “extra” cash that you could save, instead, you think of other things you would like to buy?
• Do you cheer yourself up or give yourself a reward by “going shopping”?
• Does more than a third of your income go to pay credit card bills (not including rent or mortgage payments)?
• Have you had to move credit lines because you typically don’t have the money to pay off your credit line?
• Do you pay the minimum balance on your credit card most of the time?
• Are you inclined to keep buying more of your favorite things- clothes, makeup, cd’s, books, computer software, electronic gadgets – even though you do not have a specific need for them?
• When and if you have to say “NO” to yourself, or control yourself from buying something you really want, do you feel intensely deprived, angry or upset?

If you have four or more A’s and O’s you have overspending tendencies. If you answered A or O to the last question, you are most likely someone who may grapple with compulsive shopping. That question seems to be the most potent indicator of a serious problem.

Compulsive shopping therapy with Angela R. Wurtzel explores the deeper deprivation that lies below all of the stuff and things a person may indulge in by shopping and spending. The process of compulsive shopping therapy includes both an assessment and understanding of the behaviors that appear out of control and perhaps causing family discord, financial debt and emotional instability. By comprehending the gravity of the problem Angela works with people to incorporate more adaptive skills to lead more balanced and less self destructive lifestyles.