Creditomania: why do we love to live in debt so much?

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Alcoholism, gambling addiction, systematic overeating, the inability to quit tobacco, as well as spend at least one day without a computer and gadgets - these and other forms of psychological addiction have become a real scourge of our time. It is easier to list things and phenomena that are not addictive than those that literally enslave us with highly questionable pleasures. It would seem that it is simply impossible to come up with something new, but that was not the case. Now we are intensively fighting a new mania - the desire to buy everything on credit, even if we know in advance that it will be very difficult to pay it off.

When people realized that it was not at all necessary to have the necessary amount of money in order to instantly acquire the desired product, they seemed to be replaced. The credit boom has covered our country: advertisements of various banks, ready to lend money at certain interest rates, began to appear in newspapers and on television, and the clients of these banks became regulars at financial institutions, preferring to spend the funds they did not have on unnecessary things, instead of to scrupulously save for what they really need.

Psychologists sound the alarm: the constant desire to take out loans is akin to drug addiction - often people do not even think about the fact that they will have to pay the debt to the bank.

The consequences are of little interest to those who want to get only momentary pleasure from buying another expensive trinket. Of course, it is not worth considering loans as a universal evil, in some cases you really cannot do without the help of a bank, but they need to be approached deliberately, weighing all the pros and cons. Otherwise, you risk one day to find yourself sitting at the bottom of a debt pit.

The reason for the development of credit mania

It's very simple: loans make us feel like wealthy people who can afford much more than others. Imagine you come to the All for Home shopping center to choose a new sofa, hoping to get it at an affordable price. Wander around the hall and realize that those models that you like are worth much more than the amount that lies in your pocket. Then the sign “Credit in 10 minutes. Down payment 0% ", and then you are" carried "… Instead of one sofa, you also buy a new chest of drawers, your gaze falls on a cute floor lamp - we also take it. And here is a wonderful bathroom shelf! And here are so many candles, towels and beautiful bed linen - just about this you dreamed of. You feel like at least Bruce Almighty and only point out one product after another to the consultant. Of course, this example is very exaggerated, but the essence of the problem conveys: we take things on credit, because it creates the illusion of happiness and our own solvency. It doesn't matter that we do not have enough money to buy quality cosmetics or good products, it is better to borrow a brand new expensive phone. After all, what is 1000 per month?

Symptoms of credit addiction

If you suspect that you are a victim of credit addiction, it's time to check it out. Psychologists identify several symptoms that all credit lovers have in common:

1. The "Quick Credit" sign acts on you like cheese on Rocky from the cartoon about Chip and Dale. And even if 5 minutes ago you were not at all going to buy another pair of expensive boots, you still go to measure them, thinking: “Like it, I'll take it. After all, it’s on credit.”

Psychologists identify several symptoms that unite all credit addicts.

2. Several loans "hang" on you at the same time, and you are already confused how much and for what you have to pay monthly. You do not control your expenses, they control you.

3. You look around your apartment and realize that more than half of the things that you do not use were borrowed.

4. The next morning, after a long shopping with buying goods on credit, you grab your head and try to figure out how to pay for all this now. Yesterday you did not think about it at all, but only spent the bank money.

5. The total minimum monthly payment for all loans begins to approach the size of your salary, and in order to somehow live, you have to take new loans. This case can be called clinical, and you should contact a psychologist as soon as possible.

Creditomania treatment

1. First, it is worth understanding that the ability to buy things on credit does not make you happy. The euphoria that you feel when you take a bag with a new thing from the store does not last long, and the need to pay money to the bank is extremely serious. If you do not have enough positive emotions, then it is better to please yourself with the fact that you do not oblige to share a part of your salary with the bank every month: playing sports or a harmless hobby, for example.

Do you think that you do not have enough money to buy certain things? Better try to find a way to earn more.

2. Start planning your finances, while looking at things realistically: it is much more important to eat healthy food than to buy another blouse from an eminent designer. Create a file on your computer in which you will describe the main expenses for the upcoming month, not forgetting to include there the "food" column, and the costs of the phone and the Internet, and the loan installment.

3. Strive to increase your income. Those who are dissatisfied with their financial situation are most susceptible to credit addiction. Do you think that you do not have enough money to buy certain things? Better try to find a way to earn more. Now it turns out that you regularly spend money that you do not have - unfortunately, this is a road to nowhere.

4. Always give yourself a few minutes to think before buying a particular item on credit. Stop, take a breath and decide whether to spend bank money on the tenth pair of sandals? If you find the strength to turn around and leave the store, reward yourself with a cup of aromatic coffee. We hope you won't buy it on credit?