Released: June 29, 2008

All consuming problem: obsessive shopping

Source: Nancy Trejos, Washington Post (Free Registration)

Shannon Hassemer went on a shopping spree when she got her first credit card in college. Tired of owning just one pair of tennis shoes, she quickly filled her closet with luxury items from designers such as Gucci, Coach and Louis Vuitton.

“I wanted to fit in,” she said. “I was tired of looking like a boy.”

It was a boost to her self-esteem, which she describes as particularly low. Over the years, shopping became a source of comfort. It was a daily habit. When she had children, she started buying them expensive clothing. Now at 36, shopping has become a source of pain. She has enrolled in a debt-consolidation program to pay down the $35,000 she owes on her credit cards, and she is getting therapy once a week.

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