I see so many people talking about having problems with money management, particularly with compulsive spending. I was curious how our spending styles might match up with our psychiatric diagnoses.

This is the first time I've written a poll, so I hope it makes sense.

When I say "manage money well", by that I mean what you think it might mean, including:
- not prone to severe compulsive spending or shopping addiction
- able to save money
- either able to follow a budget or naturally able to keep your spending below your income
- able to spend money on yourself and on others and on leisure activities and gifts. Not a miser or "underspender".

There may be more than one choice that fits you. If so, just choose the best one.

If you see something major I've left out or made an error on, please let me know.

Thanks.

[connect.the.stars]

What if someone has no official diagnosis? Answer according to what they think they have?

[kaliope]

i chose i didnt/bipolar because i am in debt because of it, but i also have anxiety which makes me charge purchases instead of using cash out of fear of running my bank account down. when i am manic i am horrible about running up debt, but otherwise i do manage my money well. i have two saving accounts, not much in them at all, but one i cant touch that i call my retirement account/emergency account and the other to fall back on or for vacation money. i try to keep about a thousand in my checking account at all times. i am working on a three year plan to pay off debt. i doubt it works. but i do pay more on my credit cards than the minimum payments.

What if someone has no official diagnosis? Answer according to what they think they have?

Sounds like a good idea.

Hi Kal. In my book, you are a money guru.

[Umbral_Seraph]

I really don't like spending money but I'm far from miserly.

I'm bipolar and my spending is usually reckless especially when I'm going through manic phases. I've actually overdrawn bank accounts to such an extreme that they were closed and sent to a collection agency because of impulse spending and therefore I have to get high fee fresh start checking accounts with a lot of other limits when I need bank access.

It doesn't help that I'm a hardcore tech addict and gamer and have gotten in debts over things like expensive smartphones and gaming laptops that are beyond my means lol

On a positive note, at least my negative experiences with money has taught me how to become masterful at avoiding debt collectors which can also be handy when avoiding other less desirable people

[SillyKitty]

Technically, I am Sza/BP type, but I also have anxiety, depression, and other diagnoses.

[8thstreetbungalow]

i manage my money pretty well for the most part, im bipolar.

So far the results are interesting. I would have thought from reading prior posts on PC that there was no one on the forum who was a good money manager.

Maybe people just tend to talk about it more when they're having problems with compulsive spending and managing their money.

This is a mental health forum after all so I think one should assume that most people are going to be posting about their problems to seek help rather than the things they don't need help with

[emwell]

I had to choose other as I do not manage my money. It is managed for me.
Having or not having money stresses me out, so I'd rather not have anything to do with it.
When I did manage my money, I lived within my means.

That was one of the things I was thinking of when I put in the "Other" category. It probably would have been good to state that specifically.

Having or not having money stresses me out, so I'd rather not have anything to do with it.

Me too! I get stressed when I spend because I worry whether I've made good choices. I've always been that way to some extent, but now I live on a very small income where buying one thing usually means forgoing something else, so it seems there is a huge amount of mental and emotional energy involved in deciding what to buy.

[Ford Puma]

Money and management, not two words I am known for.
I am trying and I do think I am better with those things now than years ago. As for my diagnoses.... I never ask and honestly only recall be informed once years ago.
That is enough for me.

[Shamrock76]

I have depression/anxiety and my car was recently repossessed because I fell behind with the payments. I had no idea I had done this. I used to have such a really sharp memory and was organised

[avlady]

my husband lets me figure out the budget and we stick to it. i am poor, but have enough to live on sparingly.

If I didn't have so many trust issues with other people I would have somebody manage my money and if I had the money, I would hire an accountant.

[-jimi-]

I do not vote in public polls. But I am good with money. I know it is a bad trait but I really feel bad when someone with more money than I blow it on crap and then whine about not having money for bills.

[splitimage]

I'm really bad with money management and seem to get into a major debt crisis at least once a decade. I got into debt in my 20's but was able to work my way out, again in my 30's, and I cashed in some investments to pay it off, but I got in way over my head in my 40's, when I was at the worst of my mental illness and addiction and wound up having to declare bankruptcy. You'd think I'd learn, but no, I still impulse shop way too much, which causes me problems.

splitimage

most of the time i overspend, or spend money on things that i don't need

i couldn't really vote, because you can only choose one- and i have got several diagnoses.

1 option that could have been included

I know it is a bad trait but I really feel bad when someone with more money than I blow it on crap and then whine about not having money for bills.

Sounds very normal to me. I get annoyed at that, too. I think a person would have to be a saint not to.

[-jimi-]

It's made normal because of the society we live in. We are encouraged to act like children, get things NOW, have no money? No prob, borrow it! Get in debt forever because of junk that isn't worth anything.

People do this because they think it is OK.

It is NOT OK. It's not OK because "healthy" people do it. It's self destructive and regressive.

[connect.the.stars]

Originally Posted by -jimi-

It's made normal because of the society we live in. We are encouraged to act like children, get things NOW, have no money? No prob, borrow it! Get in debt forever because of junk that isn't worth anything.

People do this because they think it is OK.

It is NOT OK. It's not OK because "healthy" people do it. It's self destructive and regressive.

I think what jo_thorne meant is "It is normal to feel bad when you see people who do that. You would need to be a saint not to get annoyed at the fact that people waste money."

As opposed to "It is normal for people to waste money."

That was my interpretation. Not sure if it is correct.

[-jimi-]

LOL, don't know either.

Yes, that's what I meant. Thanks, connect. I sort of wrote my answer in short-cut and it wasn't clear.