Anyone Struggle with Comic Collecting addiction that can be bad?

[Rzerox21xx]

I do and well I can tell you I have struggling with a addiction with spending money on comics and anime which I should always save save save ........ brought majority of 90s clone saga Spidey and even some Big Time, superior, and Spiderverse. I also completed most of 80s 90s X-MEN. My parents been encouraging me to save and save and I don't do it, when I do earn money I blow it all away on comics and anime stuff. yeah I blew about half of my savings. Its a recurring problem. and brought new bags boards for those books so it would be nice clean and in order since Im obsessive compulsive. Ususally its triggered when I'm overcome with nostalgia for a simpler time of my childhood, and I wanted to buy things from that era. mostly the 90s
especially while listening to 90s music that includes the likes of Eurodance, Video game music, and even songs that I never liked before but now appreciate now after watching more 90s documentaries and movies. like Greenday Basket Case or Weezer Bolly Holly. Watching Kevin Smith movies starting from Clerks and when I reached Mallrats, thats when I started going to comiccollectorlive, atomicavenue, mercari and ebay. Its a unhealthy habit, I have no self control or disciplined, I just need advice, the damaged the already been done, Im gonna set the goal starting to from now to the end of the new year, no more online orders, just spend money on essential like food, pet food, gas. It happened 2 years ago when I would watched comic video essays from the likes Owen likes Comics, Matt Draper, Every Kind of Geek, ect, and I would get really into a run like Ed Brubaker Captain America and buy the whole thing. Currently I'm tryng to say NO!!! to buying Matt Fraction Iron-man Run after watching Every Kind Geek well done video on it. I have to learn from Spidey to be more responsible especially with my finances, I'm thankful for my parents and how I live with them during these hard times but they are getting older and I also have 7 cats to take care of.

[SJNeal]

OCD and hoarding are often comorbid disorders, and it sounds like you may be presenting symptoms of both. Most likely the underlying issue is not comics, anime, or anything else you're spending money on - those are just the ways OCD/hoarding disorder manifest. That said, while it is good to set goals and limits on spending, these can be the equivalent of a smoker going "cold turkey" and aren't always successful.

If aspects of your life (and your parents lives) are being disrupted by financial irresponsibility, I would highly recommend you look into cognitive behavioral therapy. There are many online resources available, and even some mobile apps, that could be helpful. Habits and behaviors are very hard to change, but there's no need to go it alone when you don't have to. Happy holidays, and best of luck to you!

[Rzerox21xx]

OCD and hoarding are often comorbid disorders, and it sounds like you may be presenting symptoms of both. Most likely the underlying issue is not comics, anime, or anything else you're spending money on - those are just the ways OCD/hoarding disorder manifest. That said, while it is good to set goals and limits on spending, these can be the equivalent of a smoker going "cold turkey" and aren't always successful.

If aspects of your life (and your parents lives) are being disrupted by financial irresponsibility, I would highly recommend you look into cognitive behavioral therapy. There are many online resources available, and even some mobile apps, that could be helpful. Habits and behaviors are very hard to change, but there's no need to go it alone when you don't have to. Happy holidays, and best of luck to you!

I'm currently taking your advice and I will seek professional help on that around my area, my last therapist had to closed down due to the pandemic and haven't seen a therapist in over a year. well today is Christmas and tomorrow is Sunday I have to start Monday and discuss with my parents about it.

[seusilva]

I hope you are okay!! SJNeal gave great advice, it's always better to ask someone who knows how to better address the solution for help. On our own sometimes our solutions are slower and less efective. I've also been having a bit of trouble watching youtube too much, not buying products but spending too much of my time watching videos and not reading all I wanted, I need to find a solution too. Good luck my friend!!

[Rzerox21xx]

I hope you are okay!! SJNeal gave great advice, it's always better to ask someone who knows how to better address the solution for help. On our own sometimes our solutions are slower and less efective. I've also been having a bit of trouble watching youtube too much, not buying products but spending too much of my time watching videos and not reading all I wanted, I need to find a solution too. Good luck my friend!!

Thank you I actually got in contact with my previous therapist and I haven't seen her since the Pandemic and we gonna arrange something. maybe do phone or zoom. lets see, the office we use is closed because of the pandemic. yeah thanks.

[Hive]

Ususally its triggered when I'm overcome with nostalgia for a simpler time of my childhood, and I wanted to buy things from that era.

Oh I know this feeling all too well. Most of my hobbies are centered around the nostalgic feelings. I jumped into collecting Transformers (for the second time in adulthood) and G.I. Joe figures earlier this year for that reason and it's a huge part of what is my biggest hobby outside comics as well, namely collecting and building LEGO.

[Balakin]

I think it's great that you came here for advice and already seeking a solution. Zoom calls with therapists are very common these days and I heard from people who do them that it's effective.

As a non therapy related, purely just practical advice: maybe try to look into reading digitally, on a tablet.
I used to do that and it helped me transition out of collecting superhero comics, because when I took away the physical aspect of it (as in: "look at this beautiful hardcover!") I've realized after a while I don't particularly care for the genre any more.
Now I just buy whatever seems good in whatever format (mainly from the LCS or a bookshop) and I spend way less on it but get more out of reading them.

You can apply a similar logic to anime as well, I do collect some of those and other blu-rays too but having loads of anime on Netflix/prime/crunchyroll is a big help.

Best of luck and let us know how the therapy is going, maybe someone else has similar problems (I bet there are many of us in the hobby) and could use a good example.

[Rincewind]

I've found using Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe helps combat my completist urges. Knowing that I can access all the new stuff and more and more old stuff means I can pass on buying all these books and concentrate only on the stuff I really love. I wound up cancelling several pre orders of big books once I got the service.

[Rzerox21xx]

I think it's great that you came here for advice and already seeking a solution. Zoom calls with therapists are very common these days and I heard from people who do them that it's effective.

As a non therapy related, purely just practical advice: maybe try to look into reading digitally, on a tablet.
I used to do that and it helped me transition out of collecting superhero comics, because when I took away the physical aspect of it (as in: "look at this beautiful hardcover!") I've realized after a while I don't particularly care for the genre any more.
Now I just buy whatever seems good in whatever format (mainly from the LCS or a bookshop) and I spend way less on it but get more out of reading them.

You can apply a similar logic to anime as well, I do collect some of those and other blu-rays too but having loads of anime on Netflix/prime/crunchyroll is a big help.

Best of luck and let us know how the therapy is going, maybe someone else has similar problems (I bet there are many of us in the hobby) and could use a good example.

Thanks, yeah at the beginning of the new year I will talk with my returning therapist, and yeah I guess the compulsive buying would tend to happened when I'm home alone and my parents are 2 weeks away from Colombia so there was a lack of accountability. I have actually been buying so much less anime lately compare in the past. Funimation would release seasons in 2 parts separate, now I'm no hurry and just buy when the whole season in one set during a sale. yeah I tried digital, I'm a old fossil, something about reading on a tablet and phone doesn't seem right. The fun thing about reading physical floppies, I like seeing the ads from that era, one of my last recent purchase was a issue of 90s Scarlet Spider that advertise a live viewing at a mall on the new Kevin Smith film Mallrats(which i mention having gotten into it and relating to the main character Brody). Yeah I get you, who knows, maybe one day I go digital but in the mean time, I like to support my local LCS and read my comics at hand, its just its just just binged buying back issues but also limiting my weekly titles. I had to cut off most of DC(only thinking to a few Bat titles Im enjoying)and stick to Marvel. I also have to control my urges whenever I watched video essays talking about how great a story from this writer artist is. Just cause I'm a Marvel zombie(proud of it) doesn't mean I have to get every single thing even if reviews has been good. I have to just stick to the ones Im invested in like the X-titles and Spider-titles and maybe a few outside of that like Ghost Rider, Hulk and Thor athough eventually I'm gonna have to cut those down too. Lets see, for now I have to managed this compulsive spending on back issues, I managed to cut down my figure collecting, I only brought 1 figure this year and it was Savage Land Rogue statue that was around 50(I used to be pretty bad, in collecting anime figures).

[charliehustle415]

I feel for you man, there's a lot of great info here.

I myself had issues with hoarding and addiction and it took a long time for me purge everything; however, once I got the help I needed I stayed pretty good (for the most part) every now and then I have the urge to buy 1000s of dollars worth of statues, action figures, comics, and other collectibles and I found myself reaching out and walking off that ledge.

I would definitely recommend after you seek professional help asking a trusted friend to be your "spotter" and whenever you get that itch hit them up and ask them to spot you because you feel like you're gonna go back down that rabbit hole. My best friend is always there whenever I feel that urge or they will see me starting to get manic and obsessive about something and talk me down.

You should be very proud of yourself for recognizing and reaching out for advice and help.

[Captain Craig]

At first I thought this was going to be a more light hearted thread like we've seen before. Where a poster is half serious but joking a bit as well.

We all likely could do better at how we manage/budget money. What you laid out in your post sounds like you may indeed have a bigger issue, but not an untreatable one.
SJNeal sounds like he knows something about this, it sounded informed to me. Try starting there.

I'm going to make a possible rash or uncaring suggestion but it is well intended. Keeping up financially with 7 cats is itself a burden. Just the food and litter for a month must be a savings you could roll back into your account. That's not counting annual vet bills if you take them with any regularity. I get the cats are companions and you may need for other emotional aspects that so perhaps find homes for most of them and keep 1 or 2 cats. You can look into re-homing organizations in your area. I'd wager there are a few.