Way to go, Billy! What's being discussed here is a stress sandwich. Guilt over spending too much, stress over hiding it, stress about telling the spouse, stressing over (maybe) having an addiction, on and on and on!
To me, an addiction is when someone's spending puts the family in jeopardy where the mortgage can't be paid and the bill collectors are at the door. My opinion is that, for many of us, there's some underlying stress elsewhere in our lives that is partly relieved by buying fabric, an item that appeals to our artistic side but one that we can justify by saying that it can be made into something useful -- quilts.
Is saying "chocolate is my friend" an addiction? No! Chocolate raises the "happy" hormones in our brain, making us feel better. So, FABRIC = HAPPY
Diannemc, you are not a bad person, even if you do have an addiction which I doubt is the case. What's your stress??? How about trying to sell a house, not having your own money, contemplating moving, etc. Sounds to me like you need some major happy brain hormones.
You are a strong person! YOU ARE WOMAN! Keeper of the home flame, the glue that binds, a person who turns to something productive (quilting) vs. sitting around indulging in some destructive addiction. Make a budget for fabric. There were some good ideas here on how to save those pennies. When you get a nest egg, go spend with no guilt or stress. You're in a temporary bad place. Things will get better.