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Pill against shopping

WHAT prompts shopping? At times, it is a necessity, and at other times it's a pastime, but in many cases, it's an obsession for many of us. The good news is that researchers have now come up with a pill that can control the urge for shopping.

What is common about shopping, both for the rich and the not-so-rich, is that it gives us immense pleasure, whether it be purchase of clothes, food items, expensive jewellery, perfumes, or toys for our children. There is a novelty about each item we purchase, and that gives us the happiness. For those who have money, and little interest in other aspects of life, this is an engaging diversion from life's boredom. Women are seen to be more into shopping, as they have more leisure time, while men are both mentally and physically engaged with the works in their daily lives, and that keeps them engaged.

The passion for shopping is driving many into debt traps, and more so in the age of plastic money, when the insertion of a card or pressing of a button would fetch us money and material aplenty. If we were after the banks for the cards in the past, the good or bad news is that banks are after us now with special offers to enlist us as their credit card holders. With a card or two in our pocket, how many of us can resist the temptation to spend? No doubt, all our general urge is to save money, but the tendency is to spend. Herein comes the pill as a great help. It would appear that the more the boredom in one's life, the more the urge to shop. The pill, as the news goes, will in effect be helping one overcome boredom and develop more interest in life, which anyway is a good development.