When we spend money to alter our mood, we are using money as a drug. And because this drug is socially sanctioned— rarely do people do an intervention on someone for overspending– this particular drug habit can become very destructive.

And to make matters worse, as our society evolves to ever more electronic transactions, we become more and more divorced from the real-time pain—and consequences– of this drug. We don’t feel the downside until it is too late. The credit card bill comes next month. That one-click shopping happened so fast that we are left only with the pleasure of our purchase and a vague feeling of worry.

Is money always like a drug? Of course not. A lot of our spending is necessary. Think about food, as an example. Money and food are often used in similar ways. We need to eat and we need to spend some money. And sometimes we eat to excess and sometimes we spend to excess.

We can also talk about money and alcohol. Like alcohol, recreational shopping can sometimes be enjoyed in “moderation” and sometimes it can be abused. (And for some people, even a small amount of recreational shopping– on-line or in person– can quickly become destructive.)

But like alcohol, food, and other types of drugs, money can indeed be used as a drug. We spend money to make ourselves feel better and we spend money to blunt and distract ourselves from what we would rather not feel. We spend to “numb out”.

Feeling the pain of paying for something in the moment, like having to hand over cash, or knowing you are going to subtract the amount you spent from your bank balance today, can often slow us down. It blunts the pleasure and makes us think of the consequences. Our rational minds engage and we become more mindful.

But with the ubiquitous use of credit cards and one-click shopping on the internet, our urge to spend with no thought to the consequences– until it’s too late– can go unchecked. And when spending makes us feel good, or blunts a feeling we don’t want to feel, this “drug” can become truly dangerous. Never before has it been so easy to spend money. And yet never before have the stakes been higher. Credit card debt mounts. We are not saving enough for the future. And we acquire more and more stuff, without a true need for it or a place to even put it. But hey- it can feel so good in the moment…

And all the while, our true feelings and our true needs continue unexamined, fueling this potentially destructive behavior. Yes indeed, money can be a powerful drug.

The good news is that exploring this idea that money can be used as a drug can bring a lot of light to unexplored behavior and consequences. And it can lead us to examine our real needs and feelings—and find ways to meet our needs that truly nourish and support us, while not being financially destructive. But are we willing to entertain the idea that money can be used like a drug? Are we willing to explore a subject that is rarely talked about? As with so many things, healing starts with naming the issue. And I do believe that for some people, money is their drug of choice.