為什么購物時又快樂又興奮？

For many people, the real joy of the holiday season comes from shopping, whether it’s getting to the store at 4 a.m. for the best bargains or finding that impossible-to-find holiday toy.

對于許多人來說，節(jié)假日真正讓人高興的事情非購物莫屬，至于是凌晨四點在商店門口排隊，好搶到最劃算的商品，還是淘到稀罕的寶貝，這些倒無關(guān)緊要。

The pleasure you feel from every shopping victory is real. Shopping, like any new or exciting experience, activates the brain’s reward center, triggering the release of dopamine. That’s the same brain chemical released by drug use, gambling and other addictive behaviors.

每次購物凱旋而歸時，你感受到的歡愉都是真真切切存在的。購物和其他所有新鮮或令人興奮的體驗一切，都會激活大腦的獎賞中樞(reward center)，刺激多巴胺的釋放。通過吸毒、賭博或其他上癮性行為，大腦都會釋放出多巴胺這種化合物。

"Most people report that shopping is fun and exciting, and they like seeing new products in the stores," said University of Iowa psychiatry professor Dr. Donald Black, who earlier this year wrote a review article about shopping addiction. “The reality is that shopping is America’s No. 1 pastime and most people shop because it’s enjoyable to them."

“大部分人都表示購物讓人又快樂又興奮，他們喜歡在店里看到新商品，”艾奧瓦大學(xué)(University of Iowa)精神病學(xué)教授唐納德·布萊克(Dr. Donald Black)今年初在一篇關(guān)于購物癖的評論中這樣寫道：“現(xiàn)在的現(xiàn)實就是，購物是美國排名第一位的休閑活動，大部分人購物，是因為他們樂在其中。”

Dopamine is a powerful brain chemical that gives you a shopping high. Just as people on drugs make bad choices, people caught up in a shopping high can make bad choices, too. That’s why impulse purchases, overspending and buyer’s remorse are so common.

多巴胺是一種強效的大腦化合物，正是它讓你在購物時覺得興奮不已。使用毒品的人會做出錯誤的選擇，而興奮購物的人同樣也會如此。也正因為，沖動購物、過度花費、事后懊惱不已，才如此屢見不鮮。

Everybody at some point has spent too much money at the store or regretted a purchase. Indiana University professor Ruth Engs, who studies shopping addiction, says true shopping addicts buy things they never use — often they have racks of clothes and other items with the price tags still attached. Instead of buying one or two items as they intended, they return from a shopping excursion with bags and bags of purchases. And sometimes they hide purchases from family members.

每個人都碰到過在店里不小心多花了一大筆錢，或者為買了某件東西痛心疾首的情況。印第安納大學(xué)(Indiana University)的魯絲·安格斯(Ruth Engs)教授專門研究購物癖的問題，她說，真正的購物癖患者會購買那些自己永遠用不著的東西——在他們的衣柜里，會發(fā)現(xiàn)有很多衣服和配飾的價簽還沒有摘下來。他們不是買一兩件真正需要的東西，而是每次提著大包小包的戰(zhàn)利品，這才算結(jié)束了一次購物之旅。而且有時候他們會把買的東西藏起來，瞞著不讓家人看到。

When considering an impulse purchase, the best advice is to put it on hold for a day. Walking away will allow you to recover from the dopamine surge of shopping so you can think more clearly about whether you really need and can afford the item.

有沖動購物的想法時，最好的辦法是擱置一天，轉(zhuǎn)身離開，這樣你可以讓飆升的多巴胺水平慢慢降下來，能更清楚地想一想你是否真的需要這件東西，有沒有經(jīng)濟實力買它。

Dr. Engs notes that the holidays can trigger shopping binges among those who are not compulsive the rest of the year. If you’re feeling caught up in the holiday shopping frenzy, Dr. Engs has created a Web site with advice to help people make better shopping decisions. Among her do's and don'ts:

安格斯博士指出，對于那些通常不會強迫性購物的人來說，節(jié)假日往往刺激他們肆意消費狂歡。她創(chuàng)建了一個網(wǎng)站，如果你感覺自己正在假日消費的狂熱中欲罷不能，可以去這個網(wǎng)站，看看能否幫助你做出更恰當(dāng)?shù)南M決策。以下是她提出的部分建議：

Create a shopping list and stick to it. Say no to impulse purchases.

開一個購物清單，完全照著清單買東西。抵制沖動消費。

Use cash and debit cards and leave credit cards at home. The reality of your bank account will prevent you from succumbing to shopping excitement.

用現(xiàn)金和借記卡，將信用卡留在家里。銀行賬戶的冷峻現(xiàn)實，會阻止你被消費的興奮勁兒給壓倒。

Don't shop when you're traveling or visiting relatives. Shopping in a new place adds to the novelty of shopping and puts you at risk for buying things you don’t need.

在旅行或走親訪友時不要買東西。在新地方購物會增加消費的新鮮感，更容易讓你買下不需要的東西。