Psychologist Nida Altun stated that through great discounts and advertising strategies, brands address their target audience and fulfill the function to convince them. She continued: "People have this feeling of “I must buy it”. This causes a comparison with other people and then a desire to beat the others. After that, the need to complete the emotional emptiness and deprivation with objects is driven. After reaching a superficial happiness with instant satisfaction, people find themselves in this vicious circle.”

”NOT RESISTING THE DRIVE TO BUY ENDS WITH ADDICTION OF SHOPPING”

Istanbul Gelisim University Lecturer Psychologist Nida Altun stated that after each discount term, people predicted that a new discount will follow. She continued: “Need of consumption forms the relations between individuals. As people cannot resist their drive to buy and as they wish to reward themselves, they end up with an addiction of shopping.”

Altun said that uncontrolled shopping was a result of the inability to control the drive. She added: “It cannot be considered as a personal disorder because it is a fact generated as a result of societal pressure. Shopping addiction, uncontrolled money spending and uncontrolled shopping reflect the inability to get rid of the thought of shopping. After shopping, individuals experience a feeling of intense happiness. However, this is a temporary process and in the long term it is replaced with guilt. Material and spiritual problems occur in future. From the individual psychology perspective, people need to feel strong, superior and complete. Individuals who achieve superiority as a result of a feeling of inferiority from childhood, shape life satisfaction. When life style is a fiction, individuals shape their needs and have the motivation to adapt. This can lead to basic errors such as distorted targets and ideals. The desire to have the products without the need, thinking “I must buy it. It will look good on me. This outfit will look perfect on me” are excuses.”

EGO COMES OUT AND CAUSES CONFLICT

Psychologist Nida Altun said that the principle of pleasure came into effect from a psychodynamic point of view. She added: “Structural impulses cause an effort to reach the source of pleasure. “I do not need this, I should not buy it” is a structural model as a result of “super ego”, however “I should buy this, otherwise someone else will” is the structural model as a result of “id”. As a result of these two cases, ego gets involved and constitutes the conflict of these two structural models. In defense mechanisms discussed under this theory is, trying to place everything under a logic is frequently seen. An unnecessary thing is considered as necessary and a concrete and logical response is tried to be found. The time spent in the direction of the desire to satisfy the needs in a desperate manner can be provided to experience more realistic and more satisfying feelings if they are devoted to understanding and addressing their real needs. In the globalizing shopping world, shopping addiction has been increasing in the last 10 years.”

Altun emphasized that the obsessive shopping is dealt with in impulse control disorders in DSM-III (Diagnosticand Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). She added: “Individuals are concerned for the products that they could not buy. Because shopping is a source of pleasure for people with this pattern. Today, shopping campaigns  such as Black Friday  lead people to this addiction more”.