While you’re five times more likely to have debt crisis if you have mental health problems, debit crisis can create stress and mental health challenges. I’ve had many brave clients with debt-related stress as one underlying factor that brings them to therapy.
Being in financial debt can be devastating. Watching the debt grow can make you feel more anxious, frustrated and stressed. It’s a situation where you’re always trying to catch up financially or you might just ignore the bills and avoid sorting it out.
Relationship Between Stress and Debt
There may be major life changes where we lose job or lose a loved one. Equally we might lend money to family or friends which isn’t returned. We may become ill and don’t have the same income we previously had.
If you are stressed over a long period of time you may stop seeing people, find it hard to concentrate, find it hard to communicate or just find it too much to think about money and bills. You can easily get into debt from just ignoring paperwork and bills.
We are more likely to have less money in these situations. We may need to buy a necessary item like a washing machine and then we can’t get by without borrowing money and debt mounts up. Then banks and loan companies encourage us to take out a loan or credit card and the debt increases.
What are the effects of debt-related stress?
Being in debt can create a sense of feeling hopeless, embarrassed that things are out of control and guilty about the situation. Overall, the situation can make us feel anxious and depressed.
Where To Talk provides helpful links below:
Citizens Advice
Free, confidential and impartial debt advice service. Citizens Advice staff get specialist training on how to deal with clients with mental health problems. If you disclose mental health problems early, it will help advisors to help you.
Link: Visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
StepChange
As well as a full debt help service, StepChange provides extra support to vulnerable people, including those with mental health issues, for example, help completing forms or with benefits checks.
Link: Tel: 0800 138 1111
Money Saving Expert
Offers a useful free guide booklet to mental health and debt.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/mental-health-guide
Charities
Mind
A charity that provides a place for people who are wondering where to talk about their debt problems. It offers helpful advice on the relationship between money and mental health.
Christians Against Poverty
Debt counselling agency that specialises in helping those who are emotionally struggling. The religious focus is why they do it, not how they do it.
Link: Tel: 0800 328 0006
I went to citizens advice and they didn’t really help much but thanks for posting StepChange’s free phone, they’ve helped me a lot.
Happy to help :))
xmas stresses me out cos it always gets me into debt!