I think that we all have an addiction to something. For some people its drugs, sometimes it's drink, or even food. But addiction isn't confined to just these substances, and if you believe some of the hysteria in the press it is possible to be addicted to almost anything.
For me it has become shopping.
I know what you are thinking, it's such a cliche really. Surely its impossible to be addicted to shopping itself, I tell myself this when I go out on a spending binge. This eventually led to me spending my £1,000 overdraft in 1 months and skipping dinner more than one night in a row because I simply couldn't afford it. This was years ago though, and I comforted myself with the idea that every student is like that, spending on outs and clothes, books and CD's. I mean if everyone is like that then there is nothing wrong, right ?
Now that I'm a few years older, and a few years wiser (I hope) I am a lot more together than I was. But the other day I realised that every time my life felt a little "bleak" the first thing I wanted to do was go out and go on a very very expensive shopping spree. Some people say you can't buy happiness, I say that we have much better stores now, and happiness can be found in ignoring your bank balance and loosing yourself to a little reckless spending.
My latest binge was on Friday. I had dinner plans with a really good mate, one of my efforts of kicking my social life into touch. This mate was also due to come out shopping with me and one of my other mates on Saturday and he was driving me up to the massive shopping centre on the other end of the county to help me out with picking some furniture for my new house. A relief for me a chronic non driver.
10 minutes before I leave the office on Friday I get that horrible text you always dread. He met someone, it was oust at first sight so he wasn't coming out for dinner. He also wasn't driving the next day because he anticipated a heavy night of what he referred to as a "sausage casserole", classy eh?
Now I was disappointed. After all work was stressful, the house is stressful. Me worrying about how I'm going to pay my mortgage and rent out rooms to tenants is always playing on my mind these days. These dinners or nights out help me get out of myself and get me back to thinking clearly. I was also so fucked off that he left it to the last moment to tell me. And cancelling because of his newest playmate ?? I mean how bad is that ?
I stewed all the way home, and when I got in front of my computer I tried to make myself feel better by binging in on some music from iTunes. £100 in 20 minutes on music and films later I felt loads better. And now I'm addicted to the idea of buying a £2,000 laptop when I already have one that works. Now tell me there isn't a problem ......
Socrates himself once said "everything in moderation... including moderation". It's an easy enough quote to understand which tells us to not let ourselves get carried away with extremes or excesses. I am sitting here thinking that they should print those on the receipts from Topman and the Apple store, give little old Shopaholics like me a much needed guilt trip.
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