NEW YORK — In "Confessions of a Shopaholic," a 20-something glam girl has a serious problem: She can't stop shopping and her credit card debt is mounting.

The movie that opened Friday is lighthearted, but for real compulsive shoppers it's nothing to laugh about. While much of America is spending less because of the recession, for shopaholics, the deals have become too good to resist.

"I'm having a hard time controlling myself," said Rebecca Gart, 39, of Denver, a stay-at-home mother of three who goes shopping a couple of times a week. She excitedly ticked off several great deals: Dolce & Gabbana pants, a Prada bag, a beautiful cocktail dress.

Even for those who have less money in their pockets, sales can prove tempting. As economic stress levels mount, they seek retail therapy and spend more.

"I know that business is bad for everyone and that I should be calming down," Gart said. "It's just hard when you have all these amazing bargains everywhere."

Mental-health professionals say bargains make it hard for true shopping addicts to change their spending habits.

An estimated 5.8 percent of Americans are compulsive shoppers, according to a Stanford University study. (Compulsive shopping is not listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but is being considered for the next edition.)

While shoppers in general triumph from finding deals, evidence suggests that the feeling is magnified among compulsive shoppers, said Dr. Donald Black, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine.

And because many spend more when they are under stress, including financial stress, they are having a tough time resisting all the sales, said Terrence Shulman, founder of The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft and Spending in Franklin, Mich.

Shulman has seen a slight increase in people seeking help, but he's unsure what to attribute it to. April Lane Benson, a New York psychologist, said she has seen more traffic for her Web site, www.stoppingovershopping.com, and there's a waiting list for her telephone coaching groups.

Even those who aren't shopaholics are lured into overspending because of great deals, said Shulman, author of "Bought Out and Spent! Recovery from Compulsive $hopping and $pending."

Albert Ko, 24, of Boston, who runs www.CheapCheapCheap.com, said he has found himself buying TVs, laptops, clothes and MP3 players. He's been charging them on his credit card and then using savings to pay the cards off.

"When you see something that is such a crazy bargain, it's hard not to want it," Ko said. "It's the satisfaction of getting it cheap. It's a bragging right, too."

Lauren Leach, 42, a compulsive shopper in Columbia, S.C., racked up $20,000 in credit card debt buying clothes, shoes and makeup for herself and presents for her parents. She said her high came from spotting an item, trying it on, buying it and getting compliments later.

"It's my fix," she said. "I'm not a drinker. I don't care anything about alcohol. I love to shop. I love getting new things. When that newness wears off, you want something else."

Ko worries he will regret not taking advantage of the deals. When he sees the price drop on items, he thinks, "I should definitely get this before someone else snatches it up."

But when he thinks about it, he wishes he could stop. His savings account is dwindling, and he's spending more than his paycheck.

Worsening economic conditions are not enough to get shopaholics to kick their addiction, said Dr. Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist in Beverly Hills, Calif. In the book "Confessions of a Shopaholic," Rebecca Bloomwood receives several letters from creditors and keeps on spending.

"If an alcoholic was a faced with a lack of funds, would he be able to curb his addiction?" Lieberman asked. "The answer is no."

For some, the recession has made cutting shopping a moral issue, said Benson, author of "To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop." It doesn't feel right to spend when so many people are out of work.

"The point is to understand what it is you're really shopping for," Benson said. "If you're shopping because you're lonely and like being around sales people or being in a store or mall with other people around, shopping isn't going to positively meet those needs, especially if you are a shopaholic."