Shopping until you drop is no longer a laughing matter for people who really can't stop shopping. Many find they have debts mounting in the tens of thousands of dollars.

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"Before I knew it, I was more than $20,000 in debt," said one woman who did not want to be identified.

According to a recent Stanford University study, 15 million Americans are compulsive shoppers, which means they're buying things even when they don't want or need them.

Sandy, a Detroit resident, found herself on the verge of losing everything. Her possessions and her relationship were in jeopardy because of her need to buy anything and everything.

"Shopping was my best friend. I couldn't stop shopping. It had complete control of me," she said.

Some psychotherapists believe the compulsion to shop is caused by depression. The shopper experiences similar emotions simliar to those of drug users, including feeling euphoric when they buy or spend, experts say.

For some shoppers, the brain releases a chemical called seratonin, which is closely involved in controlling our moods. Low levels of the chemical have been linked to depression.

Seratonin is also found in chocolate and other carbohydrates, which may explain why some people eat to feel better. Apparently, a similar logic applies to some shoppers -- they shop to feel better.

Compulsive shoppers can be treated with medication, said Dr. Hinten Patel, a Detroit psychiatrist.

"Drugs like antidepressants Zoloft and Paxil have been shown to reduce the shopper's need to spend money," Patel said.

Although medication is one way to treat compulsive shopping disorder, Sandy found help through Debtors Anonymous, a program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous designed to help people with chronic spending habits.

"Debtors Anonymous is teaching me how to take control and get my life back," Sandy said.