Shopping addiction?

[MJE]

Any of you have experience w/ a relative/friend who is / was out of control w/ credit cards and shopping? I have a dear brother who is just waiting for their last child to graduate from HS and filing divorce because of this. He thought he had his wife on a 45K limit only to have found out she has a 70k acct somewhere else. He will sell the house to pay off debts and get himself an apt. to escape the insanity. As he says, "you can not lead a horse to water’ when we discuss solutions.

 

[KCT]

Yes. The husband had to set up his own account in order to pay bills. The wife had no legal access to the account. There are no more joint credit card accounts. The wife has a credit card account, which her husband is not responsible for. Lawyers were involved, I believe.

 

[whatevergirl]

*Hi MJE;

I’m sorry to hear of your brother’s problem. His wife needs counseling…and not just in the form of financial counseling. More of what she needs is to get to the root of why she clings to shopping to make her happy…to fill a void. That’s what it is, really. I used to be a shopaholic, years ago. Many people joke about women ‘‘loving to shop,’’ but for me, I took it to new heights. I didn’t land us in that much debt, but years ago, I did rack up some. It took deep prayer and a patient husband, to help me get past all of that. I don’t have anymore problems with that, praise be to God, because I filled the void with God, and not with ‘things.’

I encourage you to try to help your brother see that it’s not just about someone who doesn’t know how to handle credit cards, or finances. It’s WAY beyond that for her, if she is in that much debt. She is deeply unhappy, and feels that shopping will solve it…so she racks up more debt, she gets unhappIER, and the cycle keeps going.

Praying that your brother helps his wife to get some help; once she does, I think things will get better for them. *

 

[MJE]

He can not get her to anymore counseling. I have not seen her for 2 yrs as he comes to family etc alone. I think she has gained huge amt of weight too, all related. I am traveling 100 miles up I-5 in a week to attend a healing Mass thru the West.Washington Charismatic Renewal office. I have invited/begged him to join me but . . . I am ever so grateful that I have recourse to prayer for my dear brother and his family.

 

[whatevergirl]

He can not get her to anymore counseling. I have not seen her for 2 yrs as he comes to family etc alone. I think she has gained huge amt of weight too, all related. I am traveling 100 miles up I-5 in a week to attend a healing Mass thru the West.Washington Charismatic Renewal office. I have invited/begged him to join me but . . . I am ever so grateful that I have recourse to prayer for my dear brother and his family.

*Oh, I see…so she has been to counseling, and it didn’t work? My prayers are with your family to hopefully find a resolution to this. *