Spotting the warning signs:
As with most addictions, the person with the problem is often the last one to realize they have a problem. That, Ewing says, usually compounds the situation. In Ryan’s case, whenever she went on a shopping spree, she would rationalize her actions:
“I told myself we needed something, or might need it,” she said. “I never missed a sale and would buy something just for the sake of feeling like I was getting a good deal. Whether or not we needed it or could afford it didn’t really matter.”
Certified financial planner Julie Casserly says identifying with just one or two of the following traits could be a sign you’re heading toward addiction. If three or more of these signs are already familiar, it might be time for a plastic intervention.
- You never have cash in your wallet.
- When you do have cash, it burns a hole in your pocket.
- You buy things just because they’re on sale, or because they make you feel better if you’re upset.
- You have more than two “branded” or store credit cards.
- You and your spouse or partner argue over money.
- Credit cards balances are growing — and not being paid down — each month.
- Your cards are all maxed out. But instead of paying them off, you open new ones in order to have additional credit.
- You don’t know how much you owe on the cards you have.
- You own several things you’ve never worn, used, etc.
Read the full story at http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/credit-card-addiction-how-to-spot-the-warnings-signs-and-break/
Category: Debt Dumper Tips
11 Comments
14:17, 19.11.2009
I wanted to mention a really great (free, nonprofit) resource for this problem– Debtors Anonymous is an International Nonprofit organization that provides free support groups & literature on how to recover from compulsive credit card abuse.
There are also people in DA support groups who are shopping addicts in general (with or without credit cards). Basically these are emotional / compulsive disorders–
And there are variations on this these that look quite different but are actually the same syndrome hiding in a different ’surface pattern’: For example in some in DA support groups there are people who are “financial anorexics” (addicted to not making enough money, which can also keep them in debt–similar to food anorexics).
Many people with compulsive are also often “Dream Anorexics” (they financially avoid living the life of their dreams in favor of a life of financial chaos of one type or another.l Really they are favoring their addiction over reality. Anyway, these are all really money issues at their core which at the deepest level are really spiritual and emotional issues.
Here is the link (again they are a nonprofit organization): http://www.debtorsanonymous.org
20:29, 29.12.2009
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16:48, 23.01.2010
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00:19, 02.03.2010
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01:30, 02.03.2010
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01:52, 02.03.2010
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02:17, 02.03.2010
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16:21, 12.04.2010
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