Possessions Addiction: The Case for Buying Shopping Disorder and Hoarding Disorder

Compulsive buying shopping disorder (BSD) is characterised by persistent and excessive purchasing of goods or services, whereas hoarding disorder (HD) is characterised by persistent and excessive saving of free or purchased items. Individuals who meet criteria for BSD or HD find it difficult to resist engaging in these behaviours, despite experiencing significant harms (e.g., financial difficulties, family dysfunction, hazardous clutter). These disorders are characterised by impulsivity and compulsivity problems that may be indicative of an addiction to possessions. The overarching aim of this project is to empirically
investigate an addiction model of BSD and HD to determine if these conditions can be reclassified as addictive disorders.