How Do You Get Your Brain To Just Shut Up???? Debt Debt Debt Is All It Says :(

bikerchick_4

Hi, I can definitely relate to what your saying - permenant worrying all the time - I drive my husband insane with my constant panic over our debt!!
He is so much more laid back - is that a man thing!!

I definite cure for debt worry is getting a fast motorbike - take it for a spin
You can't worry about debt and ride a bike at the same time - impossible!!!

fabianne

Don't wish to pry in any way-but have any of you been to see your GP for help coping with the stress of debt?
People have mentioned sleepless nights,disturbed sleep and feeling panicky and anxious-I wonder if the NHS have been swamped with DFW's as the debt mountain climbs in the UK??

anniestar

SO glad I read this thread.Its not just me then. I find it virtualy imposible to switch off. AND I love food without the pregnancy reasons!

misscutiepie1984

another thing that dont help.... i kinda always been painfully shy and panicky went to doctors and they say i have social phobia which dont help which unfortunatly comes with a huge order of panick attacks thrown in so i gotta force myself to face things that worry me, so something seemingly simple like buying bottle of milk for myself or talking on the phone to anyone other than whom i know i freak out!!! my parents thought i was being stupid or lazy its only in the last year that they understand my limits and why i cant do certain things

misscutiepie1984

Just wondering if there is anyone else out there who can add to this

Deficient

I know exactly how you feel. Money tends to be on my mind quite frequently. If I don't have a budget in place, I start freaking out. I used to have a fortnightly freak-out and end up scribbling out a budget for the coming months just to be able to put my mind at rest.

What I've done now is set up a huge spreadsheet for my monthly budget for the next three years, detailing my income and monthly bills (obviously taking rough inflationary increases into account), and how much I can save and repay debts with. Knowing that is there makes me feel a bit better.

This might sound daft, but perhaps you could pencil a date into your diary (once per fortnight/month as required) to let yourself have a freak-out over money. Devote an evening to it, like you would to your housework and such. And if you catch yourself freaking out before the date, remind yourself that it's really not going to go tits up in that short time. I find it helps when I completely exhaust the issue in my head, so that it can be off my mind the rest of the time.

Hope that helps. I'm pretty new here, I keep seeing all these signatures with DFDs and debt figures and I'm definitely drawing strength from it. The fact that you guys are here, and are thinking about your debts rather that burying your head in the sand, is really a good thing.

Deficient

misscutiepie1984 wrote:

another thing that dont help.... i kinda always been painfully shy and panicky went to doctors and they say i have social phobia which dont help which unfortunatly comes with a huge order of panick attacks thrown in so i gotta force myself to face things that worry me, so something seemingly simple like buying bottle of milk for myself or talking on the phone to anyone other than whom i know i freak out!!! my parents thought i was being stupid or lazy its only in the last year that they understand my limits and why i cant do certain things

Just read through this thread and spotted this. I can tell you I'm exactly the same. I've always tried to deal with things without having to do it face-to-face or over the phone (like sending letters or emailing). Your approach is perfect; the more you throw yourself out there, the easier it becomes. Most things in life are fairly routine, like going to the bank or buying groceries. The more you do these things yourself, and face real people, the more you realise that it's remarkably easy to do, and the anxiety of having to do it lessens over time.

I used to have a terrible telephone phobia. I would put off important phone calls (to people I don't know) for days on end, or even convince my parents to make calls for me.

If you're putting off that important call and the seriousness of the phone call is freaking you out, it always helps to write out a little script beforehand to make sure you get everything across when you call. It'll stop you from getting flustered. Even if something unexpected is thrown at you during a call, there's nothing to stop you from asking for a moment to think it over before responding. It's in the interest of you AND the person at the other end that you both resolve the matter thoroughly, rather than hashing it all out quickly and finding that it hasn't gone the way you expected (and having to call again!)

I really hope that helps. I'm totally in the same boat as you on that one.

lil_me

It does pray on your mind, I found the only way to come to terms with it was by thinking it's only money, and there are a lot in worse situations. Knowing you have a plan on how to resolve issues when it comes to anything, debt or otherwise, also helps.

misscutiepie1984

Deficient - i still REALLY REALLY hate phones calls gotta force myself, face to face im getting much better with though!

lil_me - im doing good though working my but off and saving £200 a month in a high interest savings account alongside paying off £335 pcm

misscutiepie1984

just wanted to give this a bump anyone else out there???