Maybe you realized that it’s such a challenge for you to be frugal and you are not happy about it. Perhaps you wonder why do you spend money like you’re Jeff Bezos when obviously, you are not. “Why am I like this?” — you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself because actually is not your fault, it is a trauma. Yes, spending money in a compulsive manner is a trauma-response. Let’s see why!
Child poverty
According to psychoanalysis, child poverty can result in long-lasting financial trauma which can affect your relationship with money because the answers to our current problems are found in our early childhood experiences. Generally, there could be 2 possible reactions to a trauma. When it comes to the financial insecurity trauma, you could find yourself being stingy and saving money obsessively because you are afraid of poverty or splurging because you repressed all your desires in your childhood. In both cases, you don’t have a healthy relationship with money and it shows.
This trauma is so hard to overcome and it is so common, but people don’t know that they are actually traumatized. It is impossible to heal if you are unaware of your suffering because you have no direction.
Also, the financial education is an indisputable element in the way that you manage your income. Some people don’t know the basic things like how to read a bill, what a bank loan involves or how dangerous gambling is.
Personally, I remember that every single time when our kindergarten teacher told us that we need more school supplies I felt so guilty because I’ve already known that my dad will have to borrow money from my godmother. Back in the day, it often happened to feel like a burden when I had to ask for basic things and that is so damaging for my mental health and it’s haunting me to the present day.
Just to give you an idea, when I was 5 I used to ask my mom if we have money to pay the bills or not. Also, I used to be bullied because I didn’t have what other kids had. So, this is how traumatized I am. But there was a good part — when I was 10, I found out what I want to do for the rest of my life because when you live in poverty, you want to escape it no matter what. Trauma forces you to mature. I would say it worthed the damage.
@sammielane9 hopefully you wont understand #fyp #HoldMyMilk #InTheHeightsChallenge #MaxPlumpJump #TostitosUnspokenBonds #moneytrauma
Earning money
I feel like I tackled the process of spending and saving money, but I sort of forgot about earning money. When you have some trauma with money, you are prone to believe in meritocracy and be a workaholic. Overworking yourself is not healthy and I already have an entire article about the hustle culture and why hard work doesn’t guarantee success. I will link it here.
Dear workaholics, it’s not normal to work overtime and to do more than the employment contract specifies. Also, you are not defined by the amount of time you’re working. Relax a bit, guys!
We live in such a stressful environment and I am so happy to see that people are more interested in improving their overall mental well-being. Studies show that we became more anxious than we used to be, but fortunately, we are getting more in touch with ourselves and we are searching for healing.
