EICUpdate
Addictiondoesn’t have to take over your life. The EIC can help
Many of us may feel that we shop a little too much and could do with reining in our spending, but oſten we do not shop excessively. A retail addict, however, will shop excessively to improve their temporary disposition.
P
urchasing a new dress, crockery set, or gadget releases a short hit of dopamine, but this feeling is short-
lived, and its long-term implications can be detrimental. A shopping addiction can worsen your current mental, financial and physical wellbeing, all which Melanie, a 27- year-old employee of an electrical wholesaler, suffered with. Melanie initially approached the Electrical
Industries Charity as she was struggling to cope with the breakdown of her marriage. After a psychiatric evaluation Melanie was diagnosed with multiple mental health disorders. Namely, Melanie was suffering with resistant
recurrent depressive disorder, bulimia nervosa and unstable personality traits. To cope and cull her emotional distress Melanie began to engage with physical self-harm through binging then
purging and cutting herself. Although these are compulsive behaviours, they were exacerbated by Melanie’s retail addiction.
A helping hand The EIC sourced and funded therapy for Melanie. Although Melanie was prescribed medication and was making progress within her counselling assessment, she was still struggling with her retail addiction and the subsequent self-harming behaviours it resulted in. The EIC funded a seven- day stay within a London rehab facility but Melanie’s condition persisted and during therapy downtime she continued to spend excessively worsening her mental state and financial circumstances. Upon returning home Melanie was still struggling to cope and even attempted her own life. Again, the EIC funded a further seven-day
stay within rehab and since this second stay Melanie’s condition has begun to improve. Melanie continues to battle against her
addiction and resolve her compulsive behaviours which were worsened by her shopping addiction. Addictions cannot be cured as such, but they can be treated with consistent therapy, rehabilitation and positive support from a close network.
If you need support while battling an addiction or believe a relative may be struggling with an addiction of their own the Electrical Industries Charity can help. Contact
support@electricalcharity.org or phone our entirely free and confidential helpline to speak to a member of our welfare team – 0800 652 1618
electricalcharity.org
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