beat it
addicted to asda (1/3)
21.00–22.00

Starting tonight on Five is a new series of documentaries following members of the public as they attempt to overcome a variety of psychological difficulties. The series shows how counselling, training and advice from top psychologists can help people battle the demons that have taken over their lives. Tonight’s first episode tells the story of 24-year-old mother Amanda, who developed an uncontrollable shopping addiction after being brutally attacked seven years ago.

In the northern town of Ashton-under-Lyne, a young woman is dealing with an unusual and debilitating compulsion. Amanda is addicted to shopping at Asda, and has come to view the supermarket as her shelter from the world. After being attacked by a gang of youths and scarred across the face at the age of 17, Amanda retreated to the safety of her local Asda, where her mum works. “It’s my own little way of getting away from things,” she says. But Amanda’s safe haven turned into a nightmare when she found that she could not stop spending, buying endless clothes that she did not need. “It’s like something inside me just takes control,” she confesses.

Having run up a staggering £14,000 debt, Amanda has finally decided to get help, enrolling in a course of therapy run by one of Britain’s top psychologists, Dr John McGovern. He has no doubts about the gravity of her plight: “This is something that wrecks people’s lives,” he says. If she is to confront her obsession, Amanda must deal with the trauma of her attack for the first time.

As her counselling sessions begin, Amanda talks frankly of how her fears drove her to the sanctuary of Asda: “It’s the first place I run to when I need to calm down and just think or be on my own,” she explains. Amanda revisits the scene of her attack and explains the nature of her obsession: “People think it’s a matter of choice... I really wish it was,” she says. “I’d do anything not to be this way.” Amanda’s problems have strained her relationship with her mother, with whom she lives. Their house is cluttered with Amanda’s purchases, and mum Wendy admits she is irritated by her daughter’s actions.

Dr McGovern’s approach is to wean Amanda off her addiction. “It’s a case of breaking it into little steps,” he says. To this end, he accompanies Amanda to Asda, and on their first trip he suggests that she try not to do a tour of the whole store. This is a significant departure for Amanda, who always does a full circuit of the shop. Amanda is initially anxious, but once amongst the shelves she settles into her routine. Dr McGovern observes her compulsion first-hand and notes how quickly she loses track of the time. But the excursion is a success: for the first time in two years, Amanda leaves Asda early.

Galvanised by her breakthrough, Amanda goes to seek advice from a debt advisory service, and takes some of her unwanted clothes to a car boot sale. Within weeks her family relationships have improved and her mum is struck by her progress: “She’s the daughter that she used to be,” she says. “She’s fun to be with.”

Amanda is now able to leave Asda earlier and earlier, until on one trip she buys nothing more than a magazine. Her family hails the success her counselling has brought her, and Dr McGovern summarises what he hopes to achieve: “It’s not about notshopping,” he says. “It’s about doing real shopping.” For Amanda, it has been an emotional ride, and she knows she still has much work to do. But she says: “I’m determined. I’ll beat it.”