Money worries

I had a patient who was terrible with money when she was in a bipolar high. She just bought all kinds of stuff that she didn't need until her credit cards maxed out. A lot of the stuff was still in its original packaging unopened. One of my colleagues managed to persuade some places to take stuff back but this wasn't a wild success. I suppose these days you could recoup some of what you spent using EBay.

This was quite a while back so this may not apply any more. We contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau and they contacted the Credit Card companies. At the time they had a Code of Practice that covered people who had run up debts while they were in the middle of a psychiatric illness. This allowed them to write off debts if they saw fit. Two out of the 3 Credit Card companies she was in debt to wrote off the debts completely, about ten grand between them. The third didn't want to know and was a nightmare.  

I can't imagine this Code of Practice still exists, it doesn't seem very spirit of 2016. But the CAB could negotiate with Credit Card companies to minimize the hassle you get while you deal with whatever you owe. Hopefully you have just reached an overdraft limit and the sums of money involved are not huge.

There are still Guidelines and Codes of Practice. Mind produced a document reporting some research it did on debt and mental health. They include a couple of appendices one of which lists the names of the various guidelines/codes. They may be of some use to you.

     https://www.mind.org.uk/media/273468/still-in-the-red.pdf

I have money trouble. When I'm on a high I don't place any value on money.

Have no ability to plan or perceive the future while I'm in that zone.

I have a caravan now!

Thanks everyone :) 

I managed to sort it but i am the same in terms of when i am on a high with bi polar i just spend and spend and i dont think about the consiquences at all. 

I need to change somehow or other :/

Thanks for that link :D 

from

hazel :) xx