How to get rid of the fear of poverty and defeat Peniaphobia?

Hello, dear readers of the site! Peniaphobia is the irrational fear of being left without money to live on.

And today we will try to figure out what are the main reasons for the development of this phobia, as well as how to deal with it in order to calmly look into the future. And not to experience panic attacks at the thought that suddenly poverty and poverty awaits ahead.

What is it like?

Peniaphobia is sometimes confused with ordinary greed and greed. Therefore, people with this disorder are rejected in society. After all, in fact, few people are attracted to stinginess, right?

In relationships, in order for them to be healthy and harmonious, it is important to make an almost equal contribution.

And the misers mostly think only about how they can get more money, but they certainly don’t worry about how pleasant conversationalists and true friends they are.

Only if an ordinary greedy person is able to independently work on his mistakes and limitations, to realize that the way he treats people repels others. That fob is unable to do anything with itself.

After all, he is not in control of his condition. He would be glad to stop being afraid and worrying, only the power of thought does not work out. Simply because peniaphobia is not a character trait, but a disease.

Which makes it difficult to concentrate on the tasks set, and makes its own adjustments to the human value system, seriously distorting it.

Labor productivity suffers, because in my head there are only thoughts about how not to “sink” to beggary. In their perception, it is equivalent to death, and sometimes even worse.

Most often occurs in people aged and, surprisingly, quite wealthy.

Along with the fear of becoming poor, an irrational fear of change may appear in parallel. When any changes in life provoke panic, regardless of whether they are for the better or not.

Symptoms

Behavioral

Peniaphobia is easily recognizable by its unreal passion for money. He saves them so much that he does not spend them at all. Even though it needs something.

The fear that poverty will someday overtake him is so great that it forces him to work day and night, without rest and entertainment. Accordingly, one cannot go about any satisfaction of one’s stay on earth.

Subsequently, this lifestyle causes depression, nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and sometimes degradation. A person does not seek to develop, to know other people, something new, himself, after all.

Despite the fact that the fob most often looks quite modest, it has good stocks for the so-called «rainy day». Without them, he would have completely lost his mind.

Therefore, there can be no talk of any risky investments and unforeseen expenses, respectively.

He does not trust banks and other financial institutions, preferring to keep his savings in different places, and even better, in hard currency.

Workaholism is manifested only in the need to earn as much as possible. So the peniaphobe is lazy enough. He basically doesn’t care how he looks, how developed and so on.

Attention is focused on the subject of fear, the rest does not bother. Difficulties frighten him, he is not able to cope with them. In addition, every problem jeopardizes the integrity of such meticulously accumulated wealth.

At times he resembles a person with schizophrenia. By the way, it is likely that this phobia is a consequence of the development of schizoaffective disorder.

That is, he suspects everyone, as if every acquaintance, or even a relative, literally sleeps and sees how to take possession of his money.

The psychology of the peniaphobe is such that, being most afraid of becoming impoverished, he is disgusted with those in need of help.

Accordingly, he never even comes close to them and, despite their requests, he will not give a penny, neither for food, nor for treatment.

Somatic

When thinking about poverty, the fob starts a panic attack. It is characterized by high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, which causes chest pain and difficulty breathing.

Such symptoms are even more frightening, because it seems to the phobe that he is about to die from a heart attack or as a result of suffocation.

He sweats profusely, blushes, and completely loses control over his behavior and thoughts.

Sometimes, when a person panics, he feels sick, vomits, he has a nervous tic and his voice trembles. The gait becomes unsteady, all because of the tremor of the legs, he crashes into the walls or stumbles, falls.

The face turns red at the moment of experience, the pupils “run” from side to side, since the peniaphobe is not able to concentrate on something, he has only one thought in his head, and that is about how to save, protect his wealth in order to survive.

Causes

Financial situation

It seems that the number of peniaphobes should be those who grew up in poverty. They certainly know what it is to starve, so they are most afraid of a repetition of the situation.

But it is not. Poverty survivors have experience, they coped with it somehow, so they worry about other problems.

But those who literally bathed in luxury all their lives do not know what to do when the financial situation suffers. They simply do not understand what to do if the map is empty, so the biggest nightmare for them is the loss of status and source of income.

Fear of getting sick or dying

Hundreds or even thousands of posts appear daily in the news feeds of any social networks asking for help to save a life.

Severe, deadly and delivering inhuman torments of the disease do not spare anyone. No poor, no rich, no little children, no old people.

The treatment of such diseases is usually expensive, and requires flights to other countries. Accordingly, money is associated in this case with the ability to extend one’s life for an unlimited period of time.

And even if for a limited period, few people consciously do not take the chance to live at least another week without pain, if financial possibilities allow.

And then if it suddenly happens that a person loses his wealth, he will be doomed in case of symptoms, for example, of any oncological disease.

And not everyone can ask the world for help, recognizing himself as incapable of solving problems. Especially individuals who previously held high positions in society and are accustomed to luxury.

By the way, there is directly a phobia of cancer. It is called carcinophobia and may well coexist with peniaphobia.

Fear of being humiliated and alone

Lack of money is usually associated with the fact that a person is not smart enough, purposeful, talented, aware, and so on. Everyone usually has their own illusions and fantasies.

But basically it all comes down to one thing — a poor person lacks some qualities and skills to become successful. That is, he is simply pathetic and unlucky.

While rich people are presented to the world as minions of fate, to whom almost everything is allowed. If they committed a crime, they can pay off, if they get sick, they are able to pay for expensive treatment.

Tired of being at home — went to anywhere in the world. In short, there are no boundaries for them. They seem to love and want to be the same.

Agree, it is profitable to be “friends” with millionaires, so they usually have many fans and acquaintances.

And the loss of status promises not only a limited life, devoid of the usual pleasures and permissiveness, but also sympathy, and even contempt for those who recently admired their personality, strong and successful.

But the worst thing is the loneliness. Especially when you get used to the attention, being rejected abruptly is very scary.

And those who understand that most of the environment is nearby only because of money, strive to save them so as not to be forgotten.

Treatment

Naturally, at the very first symptoms of peniaphobia, you should consult a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. They work in cooperation, so that, if necessary, they will redirect to each other.

Recommendations to go to a psychiatrist should not be scared. This does not mean that you will be locked up in a clinic and bullied, as shown in many films about madhouses.

No, a doctor’s consultation is necessary for him to prescribe a medical accompanying treatment.

That is, anxiety sedatives to prevent panic attacks and help the nervous system to relax.

If the lack of money is so frightening that the fob cannot sleep at all, and he is tormented by nightmares, he will prescribe sleeping pills.

Or antidepressants, if obsessions about possible begging have brought to a state of apathy and the absence of any desires, except to finally stop suffering and die.

It is also important to undergo a course of therapy with a psychotherapist. After all, how to get rid of a phobia without understanding why it arose, what feelings were not expressed, and in general, where should one start?

The most effective areas in this matter are Gestalt therapy, cognitive-behavioral and hypnosis.

If there is a peniaphobe in your environment, do not rush to condemn him and demand to be less greedy.

Losing money for him is commensurate with death, and willpower will not work to cope with this fear. If only because he is not able to control himself and his feelings.

Completion

And that’s all for today, dear readers! Subscribe to site updates, in the «Phobias and Fears» section you will find a lot of interesting and unusual disorders that occur.

For example, did you know that there are people who are terrified of having to go to work? Or experiencing a panic attack at the sight of balloons?

Take care of yourself and, of course, be happy!

The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina