Very disabling on a daily basis, oniomania is a compulsive buying disorder that can quickly make life hellish. Actor Michel Boujenah said he suffered from it last January.
It is a disease that few people know about. In January, the actor Michel Boujenah revealed on the set of the France 5 broadcast, It’s up to yousuffer from oniomania, an addiction that drives him to buy anything. About the teleshopping shows he is a fan of, he even explained: “I’m not a fan, I’m on drugs!” The one who is also a comedian is not the only one to suffer from this disorder which can become very disabling in the long run. If usually it is women and young people who are affected, mature men can also suffer from this syndrome since the actor is 70 years old.
Between 1 and 8% of the population in Western countries is affected by oniomania. This tendency to compulsive shopping can take more or less serious forms. “It becomes pathological when the life of the person is constantly occupied by the idea of a purchase, when it obsesses him”, explained Alain Rigaud, psychiatrist and addictologist to actu.fr. Worse, some expect some comfort after making a purchase like a wellness that will turn into a form of sadness once the purchase is made.
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The dangers of oniomania
Whether “it’s the hope of feeling better because, behind that, there is often a lack of self-confidence, a feeling of inner emptiness, emotional immaturity, personal malaise”as revealed by Dr. Alain Rigaud, the danger of this disorder remains especially in the financial complications due to possible debt problems. Another hazard, increased anxiety disorderssince as indicated by the psychiatrist, “in the long run, there is a form of exhaustion that can lead to depression or the aggravation of anxiety disorders”. For the one who is also president of Addictions France, people with oniomania consult when “they are experiencing anxiety difficulties or financial or family complications”. If there is no drug treatment, breakthrough stays with consultations in an addictology center, psychological support and possibly treatment can help. But be careful, because, as Alain Rigaud warned: “It’s a chronic disease with a high degree of relapse. That’s why you have to be accompanied by caregivers who will help you recover and build resilience.”