Repressed desires and compulsive consumption: A psychoeconomic framework for understanding self-regulation failure

This article offers an interdisciplinary perspective on compulsive consumption by integrating psychoanalytic theory with behavioural economics. Building on Freudian concepts of repression and sublimation, we develop a theoretical model in which unresolved psychological conflict generates inner tension, leading individuals to seek relief through substitute forms of consumption. Empirical support is drawn from a structured survey of 264 French adults with binge-eating behaviour. Findings indicate that emotional triggers such as anxiety, guilt, and shame are closely linked to harmful consumption patterns, particularly when repression mechanisms fail. The model formalises the interplay between unconscious drives, consumption choices, and economic constraints, offering a new lens for understanding self-regulation failure. By bridging economics, psychology, and clinical theory, this study contributes to current debates on mental health, consumer behaviour, and behavioural policy. It provides conceptual tools for scholars and practitioners seeking to address the psychological dimensions of harmful consumption and its broader societal impacts. • Develops a psychoeconomic model of compulsive consumption. • Integrates Freudian repression with economic decision-making theory. • Formalises psychological tension as a driver of substitution in consumption. • Explains harmful overconsumption under internal and budget constraints. • Provides survey evidence linking emotional triggers to binge-eating behaviour.