Vices like porn, smoking, shoplifting heat up in recession
BY CATEY HILL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, December 7th 2009, 2:53 PM
There's something about a recession that makes us want to behave badly.
Yes, bad habits are booming in this bad economy, ABC News reports.
"I'm seeing an increase in bad lifestyle choices," Jonathan Alpert, a New York psychotherapist and relationship columnist, told ABC News.
"People are staying up until the wee hours of the morning; there's an increase in smoking, drinking and sexual behaviors like surfing porn and using hookers."
The data confirms his findings. The Centers for Disease Control saw an increase in smoking rates for the first time since 1994. There's been a six percent rise in shoplifting in the past year, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer Study, and an increase in sleep disorders.
And many people admit to drinking more during these tough times. One former editor who was recently laid off says he drinks a lot more.
"I'm not drinking because I'm depressed, but because I can," he told the site.
"My whole life has time shifted. The challenge is to make sure I'm not completely blotto by the time my wife comes home from work."
So, what's behind all this bad behavior? According to Debbie Mandel, a stress management expert and author of “Addicted to Stress,” people are seeking to "replace the low with a high."
BY CATEY HILL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, December 7th 2009, 2:53 PM
There's something about a recession that makes us want to behave badly.
Yes, bad habits are booming in this bad economy, ABC News reports.
"I'm seeing an increase in bad lifestyle choices," Jonathan Alpert, a New York psychotherapist and relationship columnist, told ABC News.
"People are staying up until the wee hours of the morning; there's an increase in smoking, drinking and sexual behaviors like surfing porn and using hookers."
The data confirms his findings. The Centers for Disease Control saw an increase in smoking rates for the first time since 1994. There's been a six percent rise in shoplifting in the past year, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer Study, and an increase in sleep disorders.
And many people admit to drinking more during these tough times. One former editor who was recently laid off says he drinks a lot more.
"I'm not drinking because I'm depressed, but because I can," he told the site.
"My whole life has time shifted. The challenge is to make sure I'm not completely blotto by the time my wife comes home from work."
So, what's behind all this bad behavior? According to Debbie Mandel, a stress management expert and author of “Addicted to Stress,” people are seeking to "replace the low with a high."