That feeling of elation when handing over money at the till as the shop assistant puts your new dress into a bag , followed by that sinking feeling when you next look at your bank balance - millions of us have been there . But new research has shown the situation may be worse than previously thought - one in four women have admitted to being addicted to shopping and say they lie about how much they spend . But is it any surprise when it gives ladies such a rush ? The new study into 2,000 ladies found a third were at their happiest when spending money on new clothes . A new study shows a quarter of British women are addicted to shopping ( picture posed by model ) The addiction is n't purely about the clothes though , it 's also down to the effect it has on the body . 45 per cent of those questioned get a genuine rush of excitement when they purchase new clothes , shoes and accessories . And while many credit having children , a rewarding career or being in love as making them truly happy , a third of women claim that nothing beats the buzz of strutting out of a shop swinging a bag full of new purchases . It seems we ca n't switch off from thinking about items we want in our wardrobe either once catching sight of something online or in a store . The longest the average woman avoids buying new clothes is two and a half months ( picture posed by model ) Over half of British women said when they see something they like either on a website or in a shop they can ’ t stop thinking about it and 17 per cent revealed they even dream about clothes they are coveting . The poll by LoveSales.com - a shopping site that monitors items on all the top retailer websites in the UK and alerts you when they drop in price - found the typical female ‘ watches ’ an item of clothing for at least seven days before buying . More than one in twenty even print out a picture of the must have item and pin it up at home or at work . 1 . If it ’ s replacing something that I have worn to death I should replace it . 2 . If I can buy it outright and not go in to debt to buy it - I should have it . 3 . If it goes down in price I must have it . 4 . I will only purchase a luxury item if it was on offer . 5 . If the price is less than I thought it would be I should get it . 6 . If I still want it after a week I should have it . 7 . If I have been thinking of it constantly I should have it . 8 . If I still want it after a month I should have it . 9 . If I have been good in other areas of my life ( like dieting ) then I should have it . 10 . If I have had a bad week or bad news I should buy it as a pick me up . Keir McConomy , founder of LoveSales.com , said : 'Most women will be able to relate to this research to some degree and there is obviously some truth in the phrase ‘ retail therapy ’ . 'When you see something you like and are still thinking about it a good while after , it ’ s probably a sign you should buy it . ' The study also found that the longest amount of time the average woman has gone without buying a new item of clothing is only two and half months . And then 40 per cent said they celebrate their abstinence with a big , spending blow-out . Four in ten also like to treat themselves to something new if they have had a bad day at work .
New study shows that four of British women are addicted to shopping . A third also say they are happiest when indulging in happiest retail therapy . Longest average woman avoids clothes shopping is two and a half months .