“Those who really loved their possessions dealt with the stress by acquiring even more material goods,” said Dr. Ruvio. “This is satisfying in the short-term, maybe, but not so much in the long-term.” Stress or no stress, rockets or no rockets, the bills still come due, only adding to the problem in the first place. Dr. Ruvio thought the reaction stemmed from a fear of mortality. In the study on Americans, she also found that materialistic people strove to relieve fear of death through impulsive spending. “Materialistic people place a higher premium on possessions versus other outlets like friends or community because they have low self-esteem and a strong need for control,” she said. When they lose control of a situation, they try to remedy it with their usual patterns of compulsive spending to alleviate the stress, she said. We all live in a world of stress, but healthy coping mechanisms don’t include indulging in impulsive behaviors, Dr. Ruvio said. “Reach out to others who can help you move away from that road, which is very slippery. Find more social venues than retail venues.” More from Prevention: How To Make And Keep Good Friends
