Hello /personalfinance! Thank you, as always, for the invaluable service you provide the Reddit community.
For at least the last ten years, I have carried a dual diagnosis of depression and anxiety. For years, I believed those issues were what caused all of the uneasiness and mental turmoil in my mind all the time. Things like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia never occurred to me because those are "serious" issues and I did not think mine were.
For as long as I can remember, I have also been awful with money and financial planning. I have never had a savings account with more than $100 in it. When I improved my credit enough to qualify for credit cards, I immediately took out six of them and proceeded to nearly max out any of them with a 0% introductory interest rate. I purchased new kitchen appliances and tile flooring in credit knowing I probably could not afford it. I bought a brand new car in 2015 (STILL kicking myself every day for that one) which I pay $470 a month for. I buy things almost every single day because once I become fixated on something I "need," my brain cannot let it go.
My therapist informed me that compulsive spending is a hallmark trait of bipolar disorder; when I am manic I buy because I'm having fun and when I'm depressed I buy for the instant gratification to cheer myself up.
Obviously the main goal for me now is getting my therapeutic and medication regimen straightened out. However, my therapist of course warned me that could take months.
In the meantime, I am desperate for tips, tricks, and techniques to help me curb my compulsive spending, combat the overwhelming desire for instant gratification, and get some control over my life.
Thanks so much, guys.
Submitted August 25, 2017 at 07:54AM by kisarinoa http://ift.tt/2xyL2WY
