Addiction Counselling London
Central London, Camden, Kings Cross, London NW1
Glen Gibson - Dip. Counselling, MA Psychotherapy, Dip. Psychotherapy
UKCP & mBACP Accredited Male Addiction Counsellor & Psychotherapist

Money Obsessed - Addicted To Money, Money Addiction, Money Obsession, Trading Addiction, Counselling London

Money Focused - Counselling For Money Obsession

All of us need money in life and to be financially secure, have financial health, wealth, may be important to us. And for many of us engaging in our creativity is more rewarding than making money. Yet, if we don't have enough money (whatever enough is for us) we may fear becoming anxious or depressed. (Yet paradoxically in our desire to make a lot of money we may also experience more of the same feelings.) Money and wealth accumulation may mean or be the world to us, yet this may feed our egotistical selves - being so important that we are seen wealthy (or maybe powerful) by others (see also Seeking Power Externally). We may have lots of fantasies, magical beliefs about money. We and others may competitively measure ourselves by the amounts of money we have. Wealth can often be seen as something to be admired, celebrated (see also Obsession With Wealth). Yet for some of us the pursuit of wealth can become the be all and end all, sacrificing our self - who we are, and others, our integrity, putting everything else above money - our partner, family, friends, forsaking other passions, desire. If addicted to making money, this can be transactional, yet not very relational. And some may also find it hard to develop meaningful relationships, have fun, playfulness, laughter, pleasure in our life in the process. Deeply lonely, alone inside, our money-focused life may be at the cost of overlooking other aspects of our life - our body, feelings, mind, sexuality, spirituality. The counselling for money obsession explores our personal relationship to money.

Role Of Money in Childhood The role money played in our childhood - the messages it gave us, may influence the connections we make about money now. At some level, we may be living out our family story about money and how secure we felt may affect our attitude to money now. There maybe a generational link of over-valuing money, "money addicts" in our family, or conversely, our family may have been poor, and we are determined to make as much money as possible, as if to make up for something, which may point to our relationship style. We may carry shame around poverty. Material, emotional deprivation from our past may be our prime motivator (see also Unhealed Wounds - Counselling London). Sometimes the powerful vows and promises we make when younger, e.g. "we will never be poor, must always have lots of money, we'll show them" may overwhelmingly dominate our life now. Living up to this may take its toll in other areas, which we may have ignored. (An American monk - Thomas Merton - pointed out that we may spend our whole life climbing ladders of success, only to find, when we get to the top, that our ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.)

Money Obsessed - Counselling For Money Obsession

Obsessed With Money, Achievement, Success Some of us may have become too dependent on money - ascribing the meanings we make of money, e.g. achievements, success, external security, power, happiness, freedom, comfort, love, etc. yet overlook our inner worth. We may be extremely proud of the money we've made, yet may need to watch out for hubris (there is a biblical quote, referring to hubris, where pride comes before a fall). People obsessed with money may have a money spending addiction, be obsessed with saving money, have an obsession with wealth or a trading addiction. Each day, we may be obsessed with profit/loss balances, yet may overlook what benefit we take from each day, viewing daily profit from a different perspective. Our money obsession may also include being addicted to buying new things, online auctions, spending sprees, compulsive shopping, having a shopping addiction.

Obsession With Wealth

Money Making Focus We may have become a slave to money - overly focused on accumulating money, spending money, hoarding money or using money to control situations, others. Giving money with no strings attached is rare and the receiver can feel inferior, that they owe us or feel controlled. Also, a financial power imbalance and our attitude to money, not only affects us, but also impacts on our partner. With our money obsession we may be devoted to accruing large amounts of money. Comparing ourselves to others, affecting our mood, we may obsess, watch the numbers on a screen rise and fall. Making money may have become our primary task, as our other devotions and relationships (including our partner) become secondary or have been neglected. We may also neglect ourself in areas which aren't connected with making money, maybe in terms of self-care, exercising, etc. Financially healthy we may devalue physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health. Our obsession with money may be disproportionate or ultimately unbalanced when we look at our life wealth as a whole. Yet we may sense a hole inside, be lonely, alienated. We can be so attached to wealth, making money, that letting go of this may be our biggest challenge, because it may give us an element of comfort albeit cold comfort as possible compensation for getting our intimacy needs met. In some of the symptoms we portray this can be viewed as addiction to money or money addiction. Inside we can behave like a money addict, so money driven, we may have overlooked who is driving or have our own underlying esteem issues, basing our esteem on financial wealth, success, money esteem. "Addicted to money", we may have a driven, competitive streak, judging others by how financially successful they are. Envy and jealousy may be connected to our money obsession. We may use money to get our own way. We may become intolerant if we are not totally in control, struggling to compromise and be patient. Counselling and psychotherapy may explore our wealth measures and whether they include nature, love, wellbeing, simple things.

Recognition, Power & Control Despite our successes, sense of power and maturity we may still have a strong need for recognition, validation or approval. For our own reasons, we may be hungry for materialism, power and control, ownership, yet we may have an unnatural balance of power and control over others, which can be alienating to not only others, but ultimately us. Denying our own internal hunger and needs, being dependent on having to have control in our relationships may also be so important, because without this, our vulnerabilities, fears, including losing power may be seen. How we use our power is in our hands. We can put a price tag on everything and everyone. Our work-life balance may be out of kilter. Making money may have become our "be all and end all", manipulation may creep in. We may even believe we can buy love, recognition. We may be forever trying to make things perfect. Valuing money as our external authority we may be challenged to live from our own inner authority and personal values. Sharing what we have (not just our financial wealth) may be challenging. (See also In Tune With Us, Community & The Wider World, Our Interdependence, Interconnectedness, Oneness, Unity, Harmony)

Money Can Be Viewed As A Medium For Exchange We need money to live, yet it is not the only currency for living. We may have developed an obsession with money. Having a lot of money can buy us things, status, sometimes even other people. We can become hooked on making money to prop up our lifestyle and trappings of wealth. Having lots of money can help us feel good, big and even control others. We can have a big status, be a big earner, big spender or even big donor, feeling superior to others. We and others may have come to expect that our level of earning should never dip, that if our wealth did decrease, somehow we have decreased. We may have become so dependent on making money, that the lure of money takes us over. "What is enough?" might be a question we hold. Our strong need for making money may point to our struggle in taking care of our other needs, accepting we are enough. Money may have become our "god". Being "successful" and how much money we make can become more important than who we are, our values, intrinsic worth and ethics.

What Makes Us Feel Rich? A success and rich on the outside, our identity may have been formed around our money addiction. "Who would I be without money?" we may wonder. Yet inside we may try to cover up our insecurities, fears, anxieties, etc. Fear of failure, poverty, not or never having enough money can drive us to wanting more and more. Channelling our urges, drives to satisfy us in other ways may also be a need. We may have power, money, financial success yet yearn to feel we belong, are emotionally connected to ourself, our partner, the world around us (maybe acknowledging that it is the environment that is our richness). We may be too busy making money we don't have time to enjoy it. "What deeply enriches us?", "What brings us gratitude?", "What do we already have in life?", "What is a measure of success?", "What is enough?", "How would we like to be in the world, different to how we are?", "What are our values?", "Given the gift of life and using it well, what does this mean to us?", "What is a simple life?" may be questions we hold. Nurturing our inner treasures - our intrinsic worth, can bring more richness to our life. Some of us may be entrepreneurs and want to consider ways in which we can enrich our lives by initiating projects that enrich others, because we are in service of them. The counselling for entrepreneurs, therapy for entrepreneurs may include this in our work together.

Greed For some, our greed - our desire to own or possess more than we need (this may also apply to food, sex) may be dominating us (see also Living As If Only We Count). Our greed may point to feeling unfulfilled our emptiness inside, lack of self-worth, as if we have abandoned ourself. Greed not only affects us, but those around us, the planet.

In our desire to make money, we may be drawn to certain work or interests. People working in the city, may have a problem with a "trading addiction" or gambling problem. So switched on to making money, we may have switched off in what else we value, losing our humility along the way, generosity of spirit, forsaking the beauty of what we love.

Obsessed With Saving Money

Saving Saving is important to many of us, to meet specific plans, goals, a rainy day to budget, have good financial habits, yet some of us may be so ruled by our budgets, that we allow them to control our life. Some of the budgetary rules we have instilled may be at the cost of our enjoyment. We may stop fully living because we constantly worry about the money we spend, budgets, etc. Some of us may be forever saving, yet not quite know what we are saving for, struggle to enjoy spending money on what we appreciate or value. We may be preoccupied with not spending money.

Trading Addiction

Trading can be fulfilling, enjoyable for many of us, and under control. Yet some of us may have begun to cross the line between our passion for trading, compulsive trading and being addicted to trading, treating this in similar ways as being in a casino, enjoying the thrills more than making money (see also Gambling Problems, Compulsive Gambling, Online Gambling Addiction). If we have a losing streak we may want to take bigger risks and also seek bigger thrills and now be seeking counselling for trading addiction. We may over-extend our credit limits. Our debts may mount up, as may our secrets and lies. We may trade without any stop loss, telling ourself we will manually close the trade if it gets past a certain level. As if in an almost hypnotic state, we may have become preoccupied with trading any time, outside market hours, which now affects our relationships and work. We may even trade simply because we are bored, have time on our hands. Consequently, we may sometimes trade in stocks and shares when nothing much is happening, taking on too large positions. We may be concerned we have an online trading addiction. We may take huge risks on very few stocks, trying to erase our losses by taking even bigger risks or extending our borrowing from any available source. Our expectations about the prospects of a stock increasing in value and the market direction may have become unrealistic. Emotionally caught up in what we are doing we may struggle to put our work into perspective. Based on our profit, loss, our rollercoaster moods may become more extreme as our highs and lows synchronise in line with our trading results and our moods affect our trading. Yet believing we can trade our way out of situations, our trading losses may not only affect us but others around us, as our moods further fluctuate. People close to us may have expressed concern about our level of trading. Resting, taking a break, having other healthy pursuits, may not come easy for us. We may rationalise what we are doing. We tell ourself we will stop one day, yet continue. We may now be seeking therapy for trading addiction.

Range Of Unhelpful Habits, Distractions, Addictions Counselling London

Alcohol Problem

• Binge drinking, alcohol problem, alcoholism, alcohol addiction, being an alcoholic

Internet, Computer, Technology & Communication "Addiction"

• Sex Addiction - Pornography Problem, Porn Addiction, Online Sex, Internet Sex & Cybersex Addiction, Masturbation Addiction
• Online Chat Addiction, Text Chat Room Addiction & Internet Dating Addiction Counselling London
• Technology Addiction & Gadget Addiction Counselling London
• Internet Overuse, Internet Addiction & Computer Addiction
• Mobile Addiction Counselling In London, Email, Text, Telephone Addiction, Nomophobia
• Social Media Addiction Counselling London
• Addicted To Games - Computer Games Addiction, Online Games Addiction, Video Game Addiction & Computer Gaming Addiction Help

Other Obsessions, Compulsions Or "Addictions"

• Stress Eating, Emotional Eating, Comfort Eating, Binge Eating Help, Compulsive Eating Counselling, Food Addiction Therapy
• Fitness, Gym & Exercise Addiction
• Compulsive Shopping, Compulsive Spending, Shopping Addiction & Shopaholism - Shopaholics, Shopping Addicts, Addicted To Buying, Online Auction Addiction, Credit Card Addiction
• Gambling Problems, Compulsive Gambling, Online Gambling Addiction
• Money Obsessed - Addicted To Money, Money Addiction, Money Obsession, Trading Addiction, Counselling London
• Work-Life Balance, Workaholism, Addicted To Work & Work Addiction
• Busyness addiction, addiction to activities
• Worry addiction
• Perfectionism Counselling London
• Addicted to beauty, glamour
• Approval addiction
• Addicted to self criticism, self-blame
• Addiction to fixing others, addicted to pleasing others
• Romance addiction, love addiction, serial yet uncommitted relationships, addiction to conflict, bad relationships
• Addictive Element To Certain Attachment Styles
• Caretaking, codependency
• Emotional affairs, limerence
• Emotional addiction
• Addiction to talking
• Addicted to gossip
• Addicted to dramas
• Addicted to anger
• Addiction to shame, self-blame
• Addiction to pain, suffering
• Addicted to sleep
• Procrastination
• Clutter, messiness
• Addiction to spirituality
• Addicted to meditation
• Religious Activities - Obsession With Religion, Religious Addiction

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