Fiscal Fridays: Hi, my name is Emma, and I am a shopaholic

So I've probably mentioned this before, but a big reason why I got myself into the huge debt mess that I did was because I had--still have--a pretty major spending problem. Many people treat the term "shopaholic" lightly, but the truth is, one can get just as addicted to shopping as another person can get to alcohol, or drugs, or sex.

For a long time, I shopped to feel better about myself. About my life. I shopped to cheer myself up when I was blue, to celebrate an event or a minor financial windfall. I got a genuine endorphin rush from a particularly good purchase. And I always had a reason (albeit sometimes a thin one) to justify my shopping. When I was living at home, I often had to hide my purchases from my parents, who knew I was spending more than I had and charging the rest. I'd keep them in the trunk of my car, under blankets, and sneak them in the house at night. Looking back, it's kind of hard to believe that I was able to deny the fact that I had a problem.

I'll probably always have a difficult relationship with shopping. I'll always get a rush on a good deal, or a long-coveted item. Hell, my heart starts racing at the mere THOUGHT of buying something I really want. But as long as I can keep my spending within the allotted amounts I've budgeted for myself, I can still shop. And the same goes for the rest of you shopaholics out there.

Recently, a representative of a small team of infographic designers reached out to me about a shopping addiction graphic they created, and I thought it'd be a nice complement to this post. So scroll on for some stats from Online Psychology Degree on shopping addictions.