Nothing trivial about shopaholics.

• Position: Psychology

It is not surprising that compulsive buying disorder is considered a relatively recent psychiatric condition and one that merits little consideration among mental health professionals. After all, most people see compulsive buyers as "shopaholics," individuals not with a serious disorder, but rather as minor casualties in today's consumer-driven society. For some, "shop 'til you drop" even is considered a badge of honor.

However, compulsive buying disorder has been around for decades, if not centuries, and often leads to financial difficulties and severe family and personal distress, according to Donald Black, professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "People do tend to trivialize this condition, and say it doesn't exist, that it's a minor behavioral problem, or that it doesn't affect many people--but this is a distinct, definable syndrome that affects many people and causes a lot of problems."

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Black notes that examples of excessive spending have been well documented throughout modern history, as in the cases of Marie Antoinette, Mary Todd Lincoln, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Princess Diana. Compulsive buying disorder is best classified as a malfunctioning of impulse control. It occurs in as many as six percent of American adults and probably affects women more than men. The condition is chronic--afflicted individuals tend to exhibit overspending behavior in their late teens or early 20s, and the problem continues for years. Black contends most compulsive shoppers have a history of...