Ahmedabad: We have all indulged in some retail therapy to boost our mood. But a 40-year-old man from the city who went looking for some retail therapy ended up needing the clinical kind instead. A steady stream of deliveries was the first clue that something was off. What began as casual online shopping turned into an urge he couldn’t scroll past or switch off. He found himself buying a pen worth Rs 500 and even a mobile phone worth Rs 90,000 — things he didn’t need, keep, or even particularly want, except in the moment he saw them. What looked like harmless online shopping turned out to be such a strong compulsion that his doctors had to try a different treatment approach entirely to help him overcome his obsession with shopping.In the past six months, the man, associated with a financing business, saw his monthly online shopping bill rise from Rs 5,000 to over Rs 25,000. The pattern wasn’t about need. “He would open an app, see a product, and feel compelled to purchase it right then to feel good,” said psychiatrist Dr Chintan Panchal of Civil Hospital. “The relief came from buying, not from owning.”The diagnosis also required a closer look at his mental health history. He had been undergoing treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for several years. However, doctors determined that his “retail therapy” was not an extension of OCD but compulsive buying behaviour (CBB).The case stood out enough to be documented in BJ Medical College’s journal BJKines. When standard medications failed, the medical team shifted from treating the patient for OCD to addressing compulsive buying behaviour (CBB), utilising a molecule typically used for Protein Kinase C (PKC) inhibition.“Within a short period, the man’s buying pattern changed: fewer purchases, more deliberate choices, and a noticeable drop in the tension that drove his earlier decisions,” added Dr Panchal. He wrote the case along with Dr Urvika Parekh.For psychiatrists in Ahmedabad, this is no longer an isolated case. Across govt and private facilities, doctors report a rise in patients, especially among younger and middle-aged people, struggling with compulsive online buying, particularly over the past year.On average, experts say they are seeing three to four such cases every week, often alongside anxiety, depression, or OCD.“Since Covid, compulsive behaviours have increased,” said Dr Minakshi Parikh, dean of BJ Medical College and head of psychiatry at Civil Hospital. “Today, everything, from groceries to gadgets, is instantly accessible. Discounts and ‘buy now, pay later’ options make it easier to act on impulse. It works as a quick self-soothing mechanism, but it has financial and psychological consequences.”One of the challenges, doctors say, is that the behaviour often goes unrecognised. “Patients rarely come in identifying shopping as the issue,” said Dr Ajay Chauhan, medical superintendent at the Government Hospital for Mental Health. “In the majority of cases, the counsellors have to question the patient on specific details, as it is not seen as a ‘problem’ till it starts taking a toll on family finances. In several instances, the person endlessly scrolls on such apps impulsively in search of good deals or things they think may make them happy.“In some cases, the spending escalates rapidly. Psychiatrist Dr Hansal Bhachech cited an instance of a teenager spending Rs 1.25 lakh in half an hour using a credit card.“Among younger adults, especially those aged 25-35, the idea of ‘self-gifting’ often plays a role. They have expendable income and are at a phase in life where they are trying to find their feet professionally and socially. Purchases are framed as rewards for achievements or as a way to cope with a difficult day, a breakup, or social stress,” said Dr Bhachech. Treatment typically involves a combination of counselling and medication.Doctors also point to a broader behavioural loop reinforced by phone addiction, and where the buyers do not want to wait till next Diwali or next paycheck for a specific dress or a wall hanging they fancy. “It’s a repeating cycle driven by the brain’s reward system,” said Dr Pradip Vaghasiya. “There is an imbalance in serotonin and dopamine levels, which keeps the person seeking the same feeling again.” Breaking this cycle often requires structured intervention, including cognitive behavioural therapy, and involves family members in monitoring and supporting changes.
