Shopping in the Dark

It may be a variant of other compulsive behaviors like gambling or overeating, and because of the recession, it got a lot more international media attention.

The problem, as described by University of Minnesota psychiatrist Gary Christenson, is compulsive shopping.

The typical compulsive shopper is a 37-year-old married woman whose family income is $65,000, reported Christenson, who studied 24 compulsive shoppers and compared them with 24 normal spenders.

During each episode, researchers said, a compulsive shopper spent an average of $110--usually on makeup, clothes or shoes that often went unused.

Compulsive shoppers, who had an average debt of $5,000, were often motivated by feelings of depression or anxiety, Christenson said.

They were also more likely to have a history of anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse.