How much financial damage did you do being bipolar?

My biggest was $20K. After that, my husband took over the finances and I wasn't allowed $ but $15 a week.

I recently just repaired my credit and qualified for credit cards. I had been stable for so long I thought it'd be ok. I hit a hypomanic episode, which I'd never experienced before- I only go full blown manic so I didn't recognize the warning symptoms. I spent that $6K over a few months. Now I need to pay it back with 20% interest. I've been ignoring the calls and am really afraid for what is going to happen! I don't have the $ to pay them...

If I was rich I would help you and your husband pay that off.

I hope I'm not too late. Don't Do It!!!!!!!

I don't trust myself with credit cards anymore. I already know how crazy I can get. After the bankruptcy I've been living off of cash only (excluding home, student, and car loans). I have to attribute stability to being able to stick to this..

I obsessively buy bicycles and bicycle parts.

Ill buy a brand new 6,000 dollar mountain bike and spend another 3,000 on upgrades and think nothing of it.

At any given moment I have 20,000-30,000 in bicycles and cycling equipment.

Sometimes it is a problem I cannot always control but it is a hobby I love. Like I tell my parents; At least its not drugs and hookers!

Damn! I would have had to fight the urge to go hotwire his car and take it back if he did that to me haha If I ever buy a car for a girlfriend, I'm keeping it legally under my name for several years LOL

As for me, I overdrew three checking accounts for so much that they got sent off to collection agencies and I have issues opening a new one so I have to rely on PayPal and terrible prepaid cards. I've also trashed my credit well before I even turned 23 and now at the young age of 24, I'm debating on rather or not to file bankruptcy. All of my financial blunders were because of failed business ventures and buying new tech well beyond my means. For example: I had a Verizon contract sent to a collection agency all because I HAD to have a Note 4 when it first came out so I opened another line that I knew very well I couldn't afford just to get it at a new contract price LOLOL

Now, I'm struggling to fight an impulse to order $5000 worth of components for a high end gaming desktop/home server with money that I don't have despite not even having a car lolol.

I am really glad that someone brought this up.

Two years ago, I was able to pay my credit cards off every month. Then, I had one thing after another come at me. Some of my expenditures were due to medical issues, some of them were due to unforeseeable circumstances (car repairs, replacing the hot water heater, vet bills), but I also ended up spending a lot of money on things that I really didn't need. I think that I have enough shoes, clothes, purses, home goods, and art supplies to last me for years. Which is good, because I've got myself in such a mess that I have to file for bankruptcy.

Another thing that I wanted to mention is that, not only was I generous with myself, I was generous with other people. I bought my ex-fiance shirts, jeans, underwear, socks, a new alarm clock (so that he would get up on time for work - he got fired anyway), took him to lunch all the time, and took him to NYC -all on my dime and all with money I didn't really have. I also bought a lot of stuff for my current boyfriend.

When anyone else here goes manic and spends like that, do you think that sometimes other people take advantage of it? I wonder if the recipients of this stuff ever stop to question whether any of this is healthy, or do they just come to expect it?

I think it is important to watch who is around when manic. There are definitely people who take advantage of you.

Oh speaking of "collecting" things - I have a HUGE range of horse rugs, I probably spent a few thousand on them and didnt even have a horse at the time. I had so many different sizes. Luckily I could use and sell some of them but I had a whole room dedicated to brand new horse rugs with no use. My horse literally has more clothes than me.

In my spending spree, I went on a trip to Turkey. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. I went to ancient ruins, museums, heard folk-music, and ate local food. And got to know some wonderful, generous and kind people One of my greatest trips. Negative: still paying for it two years later...

When I am unwell, I spend. Sometimes I donate. Lots and lots. Once, I donated $500 to a ministry against my husbands wishes (then gave $250 to my cousin's adoption fund within 2 weeks). It was to a ministry my husband didn't particulary care for or know much about. Plus, we did not have the money for such a donation. It was nearly the sum of our tax return and since we are a one income family below the poverty level, that is a significant amount of money to us. He resented me for it but I was entranced and enticed by this ministry in a most obsessive way and felt compelled to give the money. There was no rationalizing with me. The last time I was manic, I put us over $1000 in debt on clothing, shoes, and accessories. I understand.

Last year I spent (according to my partner who went through my checking account) about $4500.00 on online roll playing games. I'm sure you've heard of them..."Game Of War" and "Villains".

They are very happy with me, but still want more. I quit playing games once I got my meds worked out.

Also the shock and shame when we added it all up...I knew it but couldn't stop.

I racked up around $20,000 in credit card debt. I got stupid things like Halloween & Christmas decorations, clothes. Overall I have nothing to show for all the money I spent. I was paying the minimum payments on the cards but then I lost my job and couldn't pay anymore. I ended up having to file bankruptcy. This was 6 years ago. I now stay away from any credit cards. And I luckily have been ok and haven't recently spent like in the past. I have a great partner who looks out for me.

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I ignore the calls too. My family took over getting my bills straightened out after my suicide attempt and they were in shock at what I'd been neglecting. It was really embarrassing.

Most recent mania I have spent around $7000, the most expensive was around $30,000. Luckily I am generally very good with money and we have enough extra in the mortgage to cover my manic expenses. But all the hard work that went into paying extra into the mortgage gets wasted.

This is pretty much what happened to me. Haven't used a credit card since because I'm scared I'll do it all over again.

My spending comes in the form of food to feed my bulimia. Food and alcohol and the much occasional upper was my thing. I've spent $100 on food in one day just to throw it all up. The next day I'd spend $200 and so on. Back when I could keep a job, I'd cash my check for food before I paid my electric bill. Thank god I have no kids yet and it's just my boyfriend and I in my condo that I'm about to lose because my property tax money got partied away or literally down the tubes. I have a nice car that I can't drive because I never saved money to renew my plates.

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I'm so happy this question is being discussed! I stress out about money all the time because my manicsill are so damaging. We just almost lost our house because I spent so much money on horse stuff!! Absolutely ridiculous!! And then I lie to cover because I'm so embarrassed!! If I wouldn't have done the manic spending we would be sitting so good financially. Like we would have our house paid off and more than a years worth in savings. I get so anxious and beat me self up over retirement and our credit is totally screwed do to me😒

Money is a sore spot for me. It always has been. We don't have any, so I can't go shopping. I just buy little, silly things, like cards for my husband, or little toys for my daughter, or magazines, or ingredients to make a scary amount of chocolate covered pretzels. (Just for some examples.)

All of our debt related to my MI is medical bills (including over three thousand from my last hospital stay and YES we have insurance!).

I almost never spend any money, as there is nothing I really want. But, if I get a little hypo, the floodgates open and I might spend $200 on some shirts from LL Bean. I usually bring them back.

I have been bankrupt twice. I'm unable to keep a bank account. I now get an allowance every week (must make due cuz if I run out before the end of the week there is no more ) and my husband deals with all the financial stuff because I no longer can without damaging everything. This is alright with me though. Less stress and less chance of messing up.

$100,000 + on land in Canada. Wife manages all the money now. Think closing on the land being sold on Oct. 17th. No bankruptcy.

$30K before I stopped

I did not drive myself into debt but it drained some of my financial reserves of course :|

I think the temptation itself will never go away but I can deal with it now.

ps. I'm not diagnosed with bipolar, not diagnosed with anything yet, but it's one of the possibilities for me...

I really like this thread. It is so important to deal with the loss of money during a manic episode. People with BP have a lot of shame and guilt about this I think. And also a fear that we migth go ahead and do it all over again. I know I do. Important to be open about this, so we realize that we are not alone in that situation.

38k had to debt consolidate it and getting a second job because of it .