Getting Into Debt Repeatedly May Be Sign Of OCD
Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 2:00 AM | 1 Comment
Wikipedia defines Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors. Believe it or not, the repetitive behavior of anxiety is aimed at reducing some anxiety in life. I think it creates a catch-22 kind of scenario. For example, repetitive hand-washing due to some uneasiness is done to reduce that uneasiness. Does it make sense?
Folks get out of debt following variety of ways. After a while, maybe a year or two, they start borrowing money again. In case of borrowing or renting with the help of the almighty credit card, they start paying the minimum and not one cent more. Over a short period, they are in debt and heavily in debt once again.
However, there are some dissimilarities between getting in debt repeatedly and other forms of OCD which, the experts in the field, tell us have the following common properties:
Age
OCD frequently happens after age 40. But it can happen in late adolescence as well. Repeatedly getting in debt happens before age 50. After 50, if you still follow your old ways of spending heavily when you were a lot younger, then OCD or no OCD, don’t waste your time and see a shrink about your overspending habits.
Genetic Factors
Research suggests that genes may play a role in the development of OCD and in cases of debt accumulation. Getting in debt, and repeatedly, knows no artificial boundaries of genes. It is true, however, if the shrink is unable to help, then the last resort for her is to say “It’s in your genes.” She would tell you she can’t fix you and you must change your genes. But we all know technology has advanced tremendously but this is one thing it has not been able to do yet.
You and you alone can change your genes and that is by spending less than you earn and secondly by saving before spending. That’s the kind of genes you can change. For some folks, it might not be as easy as just writing a sentence about it, but at least they can try.
Other Mental Conditions
Is there anything in this world that humans do without any kind of mental condition? Of course not. If your mental condition needs to be fixed, then fix it. Once you somehow get out of debt, don’t even try to put the burden of debt on your shoulder again. Have some shame in life. Remember the movie “You only live twice.” James Bond can live twice, not you with the heavy stress on your head because of debt.
Stress
Experts tell us OCD symptoms often occur during stress from major life changes. But so far as debt is concerned, there are no life changes. If there are in your life, that’s your own making. Don’t blame it on others. If you knew you would be under a lot of stress because of debt so much so that you would have nightmares about it, would you have been careful to spend within your means and spend less than you earn? If you are smart, you would have been more careful.
In a Nutshell
Forget about these technical and medical terms. Live a simple life but live it within your means. Nothing on this earth is limitless even though many things are plentiful. So why should your financial means be limitless?
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