Research has shown that making shopping decisions can help reinforce a sense of personal control over our environment. It can also ease feelings of sadness. A 2014 study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that retail therapy not only makes people happier immediately, but it can also fight lingering sadness.

What do you call shopping as therapy?

Retail therapy is shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer's mood or disposition. Often seen in people during periods of depression or stress, it is normally a short-lived habit. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are sometimes referred to as "comfort buys" (compare comfort food).

Can shopping be a coping mechanism?

People who engage in compulsive spending tend to use it as a coping mechanism. When faced with uncomfortable feelings like anxiety and depression they will feel the need to go shopping. In this case, spending money provides a brief reprieve from negative emotions.