60s Chinese Woman Who Overcame 'Shopping Addiction'
Buys Various Items Like Gold, Supplements, Accessories
Bought Fresh Food but Does Not Eat It
A woman in her 60s in China has become a hot topic after spending 1 million yuan (approximately 188 million KRW) on shopping over the course of a year. It is reported that after retiring from her job, she fell into online shopping as she could no longer endure the emptiness.
On the 28th, Chinese local media Kankan News and others reported on the story of Ms. A, who lives in Shanghai and became addicted to shopping. According to the report, Ms. A quit her job a year ago and moved from the city center to the outskirts, and it was from then that she started enjoying shopping.
The items Ms. A purchased varied, including gold, supplements, and accessories. She also bought fresh food, but it is known that she did not consume it. Since Ms. A bought items without even opening them and just piled them up inside her home, the spoiled contents of the deliveries began to emit a foul odor. Concerned about the potential fire hazard, the residents eventually reported the situation to the management office.
The management office tried to dispose of the packages after consulting with Ms. A, but she refused, claiming they were 'my personal assets.' The residents and the management office continued to persuade her, and later more than 30 volunteers joined in to help organize the items.
The video of the cleanup was shared on local social networking services (SNS) such as Douyin and became a sensation. The video showed boxes piled up disorderly inside Ms. A’s home. Most of the packages were unopened and brand new. The volunteers continued to sort through them.
Ms. A was not addicted to shopping just a year ago, but after retiring from her job, she reportedly struggled as she lost contact with other relatives and her only daughter moved abroad. Unable to endure the emptiness, she turned to online shopping. Experts diagnosed Ms. A with 'hoarding disorder,' a condition where she tries to relieve emptiness through shopping addiction.
Netizens responded with various comments such as, "Mental illness is scary. I hope the woman recovers quickly," "She needs to learn how to be happy on her own," and "A heartbreaking story."
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