DISCLOSURE: I’m not a Mental Health Professional and everything I write is from my own experience and what I have dealt with. If I share it is because I believe it can help someone who is going through a similar situation. If you are dealing with Mental Health Issues please talk to a Health Professional.
This year Mental Health has been on everyone’s mind. No joke, this is a very serious and heartfelt issue for me.
I believe it took a worldwide pandemic to get Mental Health the attention it deserves. Somehow, when everyone around the world is concerned things take on a new proportion.
My interest in mental health began when I got out of debt and started to dig a little deeper to see (and stop beating myself up!) if there had been anything, during those struggling times that I could have done differently. FYI, I believe there weren’t, well, apart from getting into debt in the first place. But even that, I believe I had to live that experience because I truly believe it’s my calling to help those that might find themselves in a similar situation. I truly believe that if I hadn’t been through it, my judgemental self would spill all over everything I would do in life!
I’m not making excuses for myself saying that I only got into debt because of mental problems, although I have battled depression ever since I can remember, but I am saying that debt and mental health issues go hand in hand.
Something to remember: mental health issues can cause severe debt and severe debt can cause mental health issues.
I’m also not saying that all debts are bad, I’m saying that bad debts are bad.I’ve been very forward about my views and struggles with all debts. I believe this to be true from a logical view point but emotionally, I still struggle with it. If you’ve been here for sometime you know my reasons!
Now, what can you do when you are struggling with one of these issues and the other one creeps up? Well let’s start with:
“You are battling some Mental Health issues, you are feeling sad and a little depressed and you have no desire to go out. First, if this is you PLEASE SEE A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, these are not the blues and you probably won’t snap out of it! Maybe you will but chances are you won’t, so get help, tell them exactly how you are feeling and what your struggles are. But let’s be realistic here, you probably won’t talk to that health professional straight away because you feel they won’t take you seriously because you are not taking yourself that seriously either. So, instead you decide to go on a shopping site online and buy that cosy sweater and those comfy yoga pants, not that you are taking up yoga but because you can see yourself curled up on the couch watching Hallmark Christmas movies or bad romance ones (guilty and guilty!). Before you leave the site your cart is a few hundred of your money currency but well, that will help you push that sadness away! Well, you’ll just put this shopping spree on your credit card that is almost at the limit because let’s face it, life’s been tough for a while and you find yourself spending more than usual. By now all you can think about when you get out of bed in the morning is to get right back in it at the end of your working day. Talking about work, you could probably put in some sick days and just stay in bed all day… that sounds more and more enticing as you try to drag yourself out of bed…”
Believe me, this situation is more common than you think. I’ve been there, well, all I need to add is, drinking more than I should and being bitchy to my husband who had no clue what to do to help me.
Now let’s look at another situation:
“You’ve been living the life, well kind of! Vacations, cars, you are paying for them at the end of the month, but you are happy you can afford them! Yes, it all adds up to a lot of debt and payments at the end to the month but you can do it! If you have to have a job you don’t really like, you can at least compensate by having all the other things! Sure you struggle a little and you don’t even want to add all those credits up, you feel the total would freak you out! But you don’t worry because you have a good job and commissions are good… then a pandemic hits! You get laid off, you are forced to look at those totals and you find out you can make the payments with unemployment but you cannot afford to eat, buy groceries. You decide to apply for another credit card to get you buy until the situation clears, until you find another job. Now, you are locked at home with no structure, no boundaries, the kids are driving you crazy and you discover online shopping! Oh le bonheur! Things get delivered to you because let’s face it you can’t go out! By the end of the first month you find you’ve run through another credit card, the one that was supposed to keep you afloat until your next job… That’s when panic arrives and the palpitations and shortness of breath follow suit, you don’t really know what’s going on! You avoid dealing with your finances like the plague. But those chest pains, can you even afford to go to the doctor? If this is you PLEASE SEE A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. Don’t minimise the situation and don’t think that people will judge you, they won’t. Please get the help you need.
These are two common situations that people find themselves in by having mental health issues that bring on debt issues and vice-versa. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It’s important to realise that you are not alone in this situation. And for what it’s worth, all financial problems have a solution. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy or quick to straighten your situation, but I am saying that it’s possible.
Another thing I want to tell you is this: it’s not the amount of money you owe that determines if you are in a debt crises. What is going to determine if you are or not in a debt crises is your capacity to meet your commitments every month. So, if you are able to still pay all your bills and credits, even if it’s just the minimum payment required, you are not in a debt crises. It might feel you will never get ahead but you will, one step at a time. If on the other hand you can no longer make your commitments, even the minimum payments as well as your living expenses, you are in a debt crises. But let me tell you that it’s also possible for you to turn the situation around. You have to remember one thing, extreme situations sometimes require extreme solutions. It might not be easy or quick but it’s possible.It might require some debt counselling and some accountability but you can do it!
So what can you do today to change your situation, slowly but surely?
- Stop borrowing money.
- Negotiate interest rates on your credits.
- Pay off debt, I’m partial to the snowball method because I believe behaviour is key to get out and stay out of debt.
I hope this helped you to realise that you are not alone and that there’s help out there and that you NEED to get help. It’s very hard to deal with mental health problems alone and there are good associations and health professionals ready to help you wherever you find yourself in the world.
S – The Sparkling Budgeteer
