MSS is triggered by financial stress and consequently sufferers experience physical and psychological problems such as depression, weight gain and sleeplessness. Financial stress may stem from worrying about making enough money, the lack of financial control, the high cost of living, how to maintain a certain standard of lifestyle, etc.
Those with debt problems are also at risk. These people do not know how to spend their money wisely and control their overspending. Hence, they accumulate debts which cause them to worry excessively.
Warning signs
There are signs to look out for that signal a person is heading towards trouble and getting MSS. For example, the person has trouble paying his bills (i.e. late payments), doing overtime work to earn more; his credit is at the limit and getting a new loan in order to pay off the old one.There is a misconception that only low net worth people are affected by MSS. The real situation is even high net worth people are also affected. Nobody can actually escape from financial worries and all of us have it to some degree.
In a study done in the UK in 2009, 87 percent of people (British) have financial stress. It was reported that unskilled workers, high level managers and professionals suffer from financial stress. The women had higher levels of stress compared to the men and the most obvious symptom was anxiety.
In a separate study in the US, 35 percent of middle-class Americans were afflicted with physical stress or a member of their household had it, due to the recession that started in late 2007.
Taking control
Dr. Roger Henderson’s own advice is to take control of the situation. He recommended three ways to deal with money-related stress called “The 3 A’s.” It stands for “avoiding, altering or accepting.”• Avoiding: According to Dr. Henderson, a person should avoid unsafe investments or job situations. The person should live within his means and save for the future.
• Altering: The person either scales back his lifestyle or increases his income by finding a better or higher paid job.
• Acceptance: A person has to accept the fact that experiencing some financial stress is a normal part of life which affects everybody.
There are people who are not aware of their real financial situation and remain ignorant similar to an ostrich that buries its head in the sand. The reality is some people can actually improve their money situation just by altering their attitudes or their perceptions about money. A simple yet a significant step such as living within their means can make a huge improvement to their financial situation.
The main symptoms of Money Sickness Syndrome again are weight gain, depression, sleeplessness or insomnia, loss of concentration and low sex drive. In order to avoid these health problems, a person is advice to take some control over his money situation or to seek professional help.
