ADHD - Impulsive Purchases and Shopping Pain Index

November 2005 - Volume II - Issue XI

ADHD - Impulse Purchases and Shopping Pain Index

Statement: My intent in this newsletter is to express as quickly as possible my own beliefs and opinions on matters. I have no problems with people who disagree with my opinion and have even been swayed to rethink my position from time to time. We are still taking book orders for my new book "ADHD and The Criminal Justice System" and you can get my author's discount from the www.addcorridorcoaching.com

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NEWSLETTER

The Holiday season often brings out many shopping related problems for persons with ADHD. Many of us have a tendency to make purchases on impulse or overspend from previously set budgets. These purchases can be for family, friends and even for ourselves. Home shopping networks on T. V. and computer web based shopping can also be problematic if we do not monitor ourselves.

I have been in the homes of many ADHD individuals in my coaching duties and often find an overabundance of unused exercise equipment, gadgets and other as seen on T. V. items. Exercise equipment especially seems to make a very nice place to hang clothes on or stack boxes of other impulse purchases.

ADHD persons seem to be fascinated with gadgets making stores like Brookstones, Radio Shack, Spencer's and similar stores especially dangerous. We often overspend and rarely have a budget we can stick to. We often return home only then realizing what all we have bought that we had not intended to.

Another problem is hiding items we have purchased in order to wrap later and then forgetting about them or not being able to locate them only to find them months later.

At the same time many of us may or may not have these problems and instead suffer anxiety about shopping in general. This is magnified during the Holiday season. Some of us actually have problems with both impulse purchases and anxiety.

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I have much anxiety related to shopping. I refer to it as my SPI or Shopping Pain Index. It can kick in at any time from 2 minutes after I walk into a store up to 2 hours. There is usually no identifiable rhyme nor reason for when it starts and when it stops. I have noticed that it seems to kick in faster in stores like Target and Wal-Mart where the stores essentially contain the same type of items. Other stores that rotate their inventories and sell more eclectic and unusual items are easier for me to tolerate but also may present more opportunities to succumb to impulse purchases.

My best solutions to all of this is the buying of gift cards as presents. The key to this is not actually going to the stores to get them. Many charities, schools and church's sell SCRIPT for fundraising purposes. They get gift certificates from the stores at anywhere from 3 percent to 20 percent discounts and sell them to us at face value and get to keep the difference. I would urge you to seek out such organizations in your area who offer SCRIPT.

As an ADHD individual forget about the stigma attached to giving gift certificates and its label as being impersonal. Just admit to others your weakness in this area and tell them it helps you give more equally and maintain your shopping budget. A note attached to the gift certificate is a nice touch to make it more personal.

If you must purchase items for especially close family or friends know ahead of time by looking at catalogues as to what you are going to purchase and where for sure you can get the item. Then take along a non-ADHD friend you trust who knows ahead of time your problem tendencies and will hold you accountable to get into the store and get out as soon as possible. If you must browse while shopping make sure the friend you are with is authorized ahead of time to veto any of your unplanned purchases. If they don't do their part to monitor you, keep them as a friend but find a new shopping police partner for future outings.

Have a safe and happy Holiday Season and a great 2006.

Patrick Hurley
addcorridorcoach@aol.com

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