Listen to 'Dear Sugars': Buyer's Remorse — With Buzz Bissinger

Buzz Bissinger owns more than 100 pairs of leather pants and over 200 pairs of leather gloves, having spent more than $600,000 on leather goods in the span of three years. Mr. Bissinger has a spending addiction, but when he published his confessional in GQ magazine he was labeled an “obsessive,” a “fancy man,” and a “shopaholic.” Only when he was admitted into rehab did many people understand that he was struggling with a debilitating behavioral addiction.

Spending addictions are similar to alcohol and drug addictions in that they have the power to destroy lives. Unlike with substance abuse issues, however, spending addictions are often minimized and disparaged. Mr. Bissinger joins the Sugars to offer guidance to a letter-writer whose therapist and family don’t take her spending seriously. “When I buy something or think about buying something I try to stop and say, What is really behind this?” advises Mr. Bissinger, adding, “Are you simply feeding shame and fear?”

Mr. Bissinger has won the Pulitzer Prize and the Livingston Award. He’s the author of “Friday Night Lights,” “A Prayer for the City,” “Three Nights in August” and “Father’s Day.” He’s published work in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.

New episodes of “Dear Sugars” are released weekly. You can also read the Sugars’ advice in their Styles column, The Sweet Spot. Do you have a question for the Sugars? Email dearsugars@nytimes.com or leave a voice mail message on our hotline at 929-399-8477.

How do I listen?

If you don’t see an audio player on this page or to subscribe to “Dear Sugars” for free, follow the instructions below.

On your iPhone or iPad:

Open the pre-loaded app called Podcasts; it has a purple icon. If you’re reading this from your phone, tap this link, which will take you straight there. (You can also use the magnifying glass icon to search; type “Dear Sugars.”)

Once you’re on the series page, you can tap on the episode title to play it, and tap on the “subscribe” button to have new episodes sent to your phone free.

Or if you prefer another podcast player, you can find “Dear Sugars” there. (Here’s the RSS feed.)

On your Android phone or tablet:

You can listen and subscribe using the free app RadioPublic, which is available worldwide. If you’re reading this from your phone, tap this link to play the latest episode and learn more about the app.

Or if you prefer another podcast player, you can find “Dear Sugars” there. (Here’s the RSS feed.)

From a desktop or laptop:

Click the “play” button above to start the show. Make sure to keep that window open on your browser if you’re doing other things, or else the audio will stop. You can always find the latest episode at nytimes.com/dearsugars.