When shopping is supposed to fill a void

Worth reading · Loneliness & health · Pharmazeutische Zeitung · 26 August 2026

Almost everyone knows it: you only wanted to buy one thing, and in the end there is a lot more in the basket. Usually that is harmless. But an article in the Pharmazeutische Zeitung shows when it can become a problem and what role feelings such as frustration, stress or loneliness play in it.

What the article is about

Shopping can comfort and reward us and cover up unpleasant feelings for a moment. According to the experts in the article, it becomes difficult when someone shops regularly to regulate their mood. The good moment then gets shorter over time, the purchases become more frequent or more expensive, and shame and a new urge to buy often follow. A strong love of shopping alone is not an addiction. What matters are loss of control, distress and negative consequences.

Briefly summarised by Romera. Loneliness is one possible trigger among several here, not the sole cause. Romera is not a counselling service.

Our thoughts on this

A parcel at the door arrives quickly. A person who asks how you are doing sometimes does not. Perhaps that explains, to some extent, why a click can be so tempting. What it cannot give is the feeling of being seen. That is more likely to come from a conversation.

And you?

What do you fill an empty evening with, and what would really fill it?

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