Pathologisches Kaufen

Compulsive buying (CB) is characterized by the senseless und uncontrollable acquisition of items. The main focus is on the act of buying and the purchased items are afterwards hardly used or not even at all. The repeated excessive behavior leads to psychological, social and financial problems. In addition to their buying behavior most individuals with CB also suffer from other mental disorders, especially depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders and impulse control disorders. There is an ongoing discussion about the appropriate diagnosis and currently CB is classified as an impulse control disorder not otherwise specified. In the treatment of CB controlled psychotherapy studies indicated the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy while the benefit of pharmacotherapy still needs to be confirmed. Additional research is necessary concerning classification, etiology and the development of differential therapy programs.