Unmasking the Struggle: Saving Money After Emotional Abuse

Living through emotional abuse is a very draining experience that affects various aspects of our life, including our financial well-being. In this blog post, we’ll explore the challenges you may face when attempting to save money in the midst of healing from emotional abuse and how the cycle of emotional turmoil can impact our financial decisions.

Emotional Spending as a Coping Mechanism

Emotional abuse often leaves us dealing with intense emotions such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. In an attempt to cope, some may resort to retail therapy meaning shopping or impulsive spending to find temporary relief from emotional distress.

Seeking Comfort in Material Possessions

The emotional void created by emotional abuse can lead to a pursuit of comfort and validation through material possessions. Individuals may believe that acquiring items will fill the emotional gaps, inadvertently compromising their ability to save. In the end the find out, the expense didn’t bring them long-term true happiness.

Financial Control as a Manipulation Tactic

If you have left someone who emotionally abused you, they may continue to try to control how you spend. They may be critiquing how you are spending money especially if you are receiving child support. Money is often a very sensitive and highly emotional topic. In other circumstances we need to trust our judgement and prioritize saving money.

Fear of Financial Consequences

If you’re like me, you may fear the repercussions of saving money or accumulating assets. I was always trying to hide the fact that I purchased something to avoid a an argument with my ex. Many times, I would say my mom bought something for the kids, when in fact, I purchased it. I honestly felt like I wasn’t supposed to be able to have fun, and at times felt guilty about spending money and bettering myself. The more distance I created between the two of us, the healthier my mind became. In addition, the more I succeeded, the angrier it made him. I bought a car and a house!

Lack of Emotional Energy for Personal Finances

Survivors of emotional abuse may find themselves emotionally drained, making it difficult to find the energy to start a saving and spending plan. In addition, when we struggle with self-doubt and fear, these emotions get in our way to create the financial stability we really want. I totally get that, because I was there too. I needed to heal first and foremost before I could start looking at my finances in a logical way.

One Last thing…

Saving money while navigating the complexities of emotional abuse is undoubtedly challenging. It requires a delicate balance between emotional healing and financial empowerment. By acknowledging these challenges, individuals can start to break free from the cycle, seeking support by joining me in my private Facebook group to illuminate the path toward financial resilience and independence. It’s a journey that begins with self-compassion and healing that ends with the reclamation of both emotional and financial well-being.