Having been around the personal finance world for about 8+ years now and going through highs and lows with regards to money, I've seen a lot of advice and trends, good and bad.
And, I've been a part of the bad advice and trends. Giving it and receiving it.
But one thing I've learned over all the years is that much of the financial advice out there is surface-level. It often doesn't get to the root of or deal with the causes many people to struggle or can't get their financial life together.
Knowing this from personal experience when I lived in a steady denial of my own debt for years, there was something I needed to deal with – foundationally – than just following everyday financial advice.
Of course, I knew I needed to get out of debt, save more, earn more, quit spending. But at an emotional and behavioral level, something was broke.
I've seen this in my encounters with others too. There is no amount of financial advice that is going to set someone straight if something inside of them is broke down when it relates to money.
Whether that be issues with growing up in a home where there was never enough or (even) always enough – if we don't get to the root of why we are making poor financial decisions, we'll never get on the right track.
Why we need to seek professional help for money issues
If you've spent time at the site, you know that I'm not a mental health professional. I'm a designer/publisher. So, I'm not speaking from a place of authority here.
Still, I have formed an opinion on this from years of being around people who are struggling with their money (including my own hang-ups) to realize that many of us could use the help of a psychologist. Perhaps one that specializes in folks who have money problems?
And while I've never seen a mental health professional specifically for money issues, I think it may have been helpful before I found a way out of my debt-hole. Handling money is such a behavioral issue.
There are so many things a professional can bring to our attention that a financial adviser or even a money coach cannot. Among them:
- Thinking patterns
- Internal beliefs
- Family history
- Even deeper psychological issues
What do you think?
More than anything, I thought this post could serve as a discussion on the topic. Perhaps it could start a movement where more are helped/healed from their money problems and get on track with their finances.
I don't know all the answers. But what I do know is there is more to the financial seminars, advice, how-to's, etc out there. Something deeper is going on if – through years of self-will – money has always been a struggle for you.
I'm interested to hear from you. What are your thoughts?
2 Comments
There’s definitely a correlation between the two. I’d say if someone is having a lot of anxieties and starting to feel down about his/her finances, it’s probably a good time to seek professional help.
Good thoughts JP