Does anyone think there is such a thing as financial phobia?

[Longstocking2]

Seriously, I would love to know if it is a known thing and if anyone has heard of it.

[DiggersRest]

As in not wanting to spend?

[Longstocking2]

No as in being unable to deal with financial matters

[DiggersRest]

Oh right, not me sorry

[Fairylea]

Dyscalcular can make it impossible to understand finances, which can lead to stress and anxiety about it.

[Longstocking2]

I was thinking more of a complete emotional block

[Munchkin08]

Hi, I think if you do have money worries it's sometimes hard to deal with them.
If you have any bills you cannot pay its best to ring the company's up, they are often very understanding and will come up with a payment plan or if you can bring yourself to talk to them send a letter with all your outgoings and what you can afford.

If it's general bills etc - write everything down in a diary X

[Imnotaslimjim]

I wouldn't say there is a phobia exactly but possibly an inability to accept that things have gone wrong. I know someone who didn't know how to run a household and just threw bills and letters asking for payments in the bin. It took a couple of years to sort her debts out and her husband deals with everything now, she still has no clue!

[starjumper]

No. Phobias are about anxiety and fear responses to certain stimuli.

You can be terrified of money etc, but no it's not a phobia.

[HopeClearwater]

There's denial about reality. Plenty of people with that..

[annielostit]

Chrometaphobia is a fear of money
www.fearof.net/fear-of-money-phobia-chrometophobia-or-chrematophobia/

[Fostec1]

I totally have this. No desire or inclination to look at finances. Never even check my balance. It drives my husband mad....

[KanyesVest]

I get really stressed and upset having to think about/deal with money issues. I was never like this when I was single,but I'm utterly paralysed by finances now. We are lucky that we have enough for what we need, dh has a well paid job, but I find it all very difficult

[blueshoes]

Is it because you don't like numbers or maths?

[Longstocking2]

No I'm good at Maths and don't fear numbers! I think its the anxiety of how to manage the finances. It terrifies me so I hide from it. I'm not being self indulgent here. When I say terrified i'm like people I've known well who can't get on planes at all ever. People who need total sedation to fly kind of people.

[Longstocking2]

starjumper

Phobia:
an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.
"he had a phobia about being under water"

Seems possible to me to have a phobia in this area.

[8FencingWire]

It's the fear of the unknown, isn't it? It's always been treated hush-hush and never spoken about openly. So it is normal to feel a slight fear/paralysis/phobia when it comes to it.
For something so important, we're not being educated/educate enough.
There's also the aspect that it's always been 'male territory' up until quite recently.

I've had that. For years, I've been the main earner, but always told by H we don't have miney, we can't afford this and that etc.
One day, I got angry. How the hell do I work all hours and we still can't afford stuff?
So I pulled all the statements. I took books from the library teaching me about finance. My H ripped the p* out of me, discouraged me in the most humiliating way. I ploughed on.
Turns out he's shit with money, has no clue and he's been bluffing all these years.
Also, it turns out learning about finances, budgets and investments is not hard. They use screwed up terminology to impress, in effect, there's some little boys not having a clue, playing with millions of pounds as if they were cars from cereal packets, but wearing suits and pretending to know what they are doing. If their mothers ever found them out, they KNOW they're going to be in trouble.

So, nothing to fear there.

[blueemerald]

I get heart palpitations and sweat checking my bank balance at a cash machine. Going in to a bank (to do a transfer) makes me sweat and start to hyperventilate.
I've never been in trouble financially, have a good, well paid job and no children. I live well within my means.

I cannot explain why this happens.