Everyone in debt knows that debt can make you feel sick. You plan around it; you think about it; you worry about it. Many of us can trace our level of stress right back to our level of debt. A study at Ohio State University found that people who reported higher levels of stress in regard to their debt showed higher levels of physical impairment and reported worse health than their counterparts with lower levels of debt. The study also found that the level of credit card debt compared to income also played a role, with those with higher percentages of debt to income reporting a higher level of physical impairment.
Debt stress impacts our relationships as well as our physical and mental health. The divorce rate is well over 50 percent and reportedly the number one reason for divorce is financial trouble. Couples argue more about money than any other relationship issue.
Stress, anxiety, and depression are common for those with uncomfortable amounts of debt. Feelings of guilt, shame, and failure all impact self esteem and lead people to feel as if they are out of control or powerless. Add to this the fears of what will happen if the bills are not paid, the aggressiveness of many creditors and debt collectors, and the constant pressure to continue spending, and it is no wonder that some Americans actually end up taking their own lives as a means to ending the spiraling feelings.
Debt stress has also been linked to substance abuse and the accompanying health problems (including an increased risk of violence) associated with this illegal activity. On the legal side of substance abuse, many people react to stress by abusing alcohol or legal prescription drugs. Spending has become such a problem for some people that the pharmaceutical industry has taken notice. Shopping has long been recognized as an addiction for those whose spending interferes significantly with their lives. In fact, it is estimated that 8 percent of American adults (90 percent of these being women) suffer from this addiction. Research has shown that this compulsive spending is
linked to low serotonin levels in the brain. Drugs that increase serotonin are now being tested to treat compulsive shopping.
Another serious health concern related to financial problems is the fact that people will often forgo treatment for physical (or mental) illness in an attempt to control debt. This too often leads to more serious ailments and even death. In addition, those in financial turmoil are more likely to go against doctor’s orders and return to work sooner in order to pay the bills-medical bills included-thus increasing their chances of reinjury or relapse.
In one 2004 survey, 63 percent of Americans said that debt was making their home lives unhappy. The online survey of 5,000 consumers by Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, a nonprofit money management organization, found that:
- 43 percent reported a debt-to-income ratio of 50 percent or more.
- 58 percent of participants stated that their credit cards were at or near their maximum credit limit.
- 62 percent of participants did not have a savings account.
- 92 percent had no emergency fund for three months of living expenses .
- 37 percent had taken cash advances from one credit card to make monthly payments on another credit card.
- 59 percent paid only the minimum amount due on credit cards each month
