Spending money and cant stop

I dont know what to do. I know I need to stop. Now my checks in the bank for the month. Damn I hope I can stop. Lets see recently I went and bought a car it was only 2600, bought a new computer, spent lots of money on clothes for me and my kids, I almost bout a 2800 refrigerator last night. Thankfully my husband talked some sense into me. The thing is I know its bad and I will pay for it but I litterally feel like I can not stop. No one has control of my money but me. I have access to quite a bit of money right now. Ive been through 15000 since jan. last summer I only spent around 6 year before 10000. This is bad.

Moremi I wanted to reply because I can really relate to what you were saying. Spending money an rubbish I don't need and totally disregarding any kind of financial wisdom is just what I do I suppose. Now my wife has all the credit cards, bank cards. etc. I don't like it but I had to do it because even with my strongest and best intentions I would just spend it away. I just get some cash now and when thats gone its gone. I still spend it pretty much straight away and I want more but slowly there are dawning periods in which I understand thats how it has to be because I just can't handle it.

Oh yes. Its something else. Comes out of no where and before I even realize what I have done, I have done damage. This is my savings just completely dwindling down. I no longer have a successful career where I can stack cash up when Im not blowing it. I have disabilty, No where near what I made working.
I have no one I can turn complete control of my money over to. My husband and I just got back together six months ago and I dont want to do anything major like that. My family, they are all bipolar and I know that in general that would never betray me that way but this disease halts all sense of any morals or respect.
I dont have credit cards anymore. I have gotten myself in so deep with them I cant dig myself out without going bankrupt. The years and years of this has just added up to more than I can handle. I will spend the rest of my life digging myself out by giving up all my money and paying high interst credits off or I can file bankruptsy and try to not do this to myself again. I dont know what to do.

I am the exact same way when I'm manic. Are you taking your meds, moremi?

I don't know what to say, the only option for me was to turn control over really and I am so sad that there is no one there who can do that for you. I don't know what things are like in the United States but here in Australia there are kind of financial advisors/budgeting people who can take control of your debts and stuff I am not sure but there might be something like that?
Bankruptcy man I had to do that about 15 years ago. I was (wisely as usual) not paying insurance and spending it on other things and got involved in a four car accident which basically put me in 60 grands debt just like that and I had no way to pay it. The Bankruptcy stopped all the wolves at my door but it was still a long hard process just being able to get any kind of credit at all.

Im taking them all now. I had been lowering my zoloft. But I quit doing that. I have cut down on the tegretol because it makes me physically and mentally ill. It was the very last drug in its class for me to try. So its got to go, I cant be sick like that all the time. The doctor started me on abilify, but actually the spending was going on even during depression this time. I mean there are times when I become absolutely a tight wad and spend nothing that I dont absolutely have to spend but then before I know it Im so out of control with spending that Im so ashamed and have really caused damage. This also strains my relationship with my husband. He tries so hard to stop me. He has been doing a good job lately.
I think Im going to withdrawl all of my money with him there and put it in a safety deposit box until this passes. I guess give him the keys so I have no access.

I can so relate to this, I wrote a thread about it on here a couple of months back.
I am so impulsive when it comes to spending, This morning for example I went to town and I saw a laptop I liked and just bought it. I know my hubby will probably go mad when he gets home.

How much of it can you return?

I was going to post on my blog about this. Is almost the worst part about bp. Before I was diagnosed, I had great credit. Then I started buying things and worst of all not paying it. Now i'm in a bad way and I can't even bear to look at it. I don't think I'd have enough money to pay it even if I did. I feel such GUILT.

a

I like to read your blog. I also read animaniacs. If you know of other good ones please post them for me. I will stop in tonight while I cant sleep. Trying to save some things up for when everyone is asleep I can be quiet. Not an easy thing to do.

Cant return anthing this time. I buy something play with it or wear it or use it then I need more and I go out and get more. I use to find stuff with tags and receipts after the madness goes away but nothing right now. Im in the midst of the madness now. I sent my husband a text told him I am leaving to go to my sisters and he has to take control of my money tonight because I fear this is a bad one.

Can't you at least try to sell some of the stuff?

And think of ways to stop yourself from spending so much next time around by putting enough roadblocks for yourself for accessing your money?

I have been there, not bearing to look at it. It is bad.

I think a safe deposit box is a good idea. Another idea would have been (if not for the horrible rates now) to buy a CD or another financial investment which you have to hold for a while. This way you have the money but do not have immediate access to it.

Most definately a good idea, but I cant stand the thought of selling my brand new stuff that I just paid a butt load of money to someone for not even half the price I gave.

Damn that sounded really greedy. Im honestly not. I do give to charity and I give a lot to my family members that are less fortuante than I have been. I take them shopping for school clothes and buy them groceries and stuff all the time. Not just when im manic but anytime they need me.

Okay, having had the same problem, I am now down to one maxed out credit card (2,000 limit) and my ssd check. I do have a 4,000 line of credit with Dell, but for some reason, I only use that responsibly. (I think it's the 20 percent interest that stops me.That, and I have no credit card for that one. I can only buy computer equipment.) Anyway! My ssd check will pay my bills and leave me a little blow it money each month. That's all I have, so that's all I can spend. Even if I go manic, I can't spend any more than I have. (And I'll know I'm really manic when I buy myself a new computer...)

So, I suggest you do turn over anything to your husband that you can access. Put the saved money in a safety deposit box, CD, IRA, or whatever you can to make it less accessible. Freeze the key to the deposit box in a bowl of water in your freezer. Since 90% of what we spend during manic episodes is impulse buying, you just need to get the money out of range until the impulse passes. Waiting for the water to thaw to get the key to get the cash will give you a few minutes to rethink the purchase. Going thru the paperwork for the CD will give you even longer time to think.

Save yourself, get the money out of reach, fast.

I can relate. When I was in my first years of mania in my 20's I maxed out 6 credit cards. I've got 7 months left, and I'm 41 years old.

I feel for you. I'm unemployed and on the verge of being blacklisted for unpaid manic debt... And like Moose, I can't bare to look at it. My sister gave me some advice, that might help, if it doesn't, I'm screwed.

Please do the safety deposit box thing, cos the alternative is so not worth it.