Relationship between Debt and Depression

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By Heaven Stubblefield

Like peanut butter and jelly, some other things go together very well under unfortunate circumstances.  About five years ago, I was going through what was supposed to be the happiest time of my life.  I was planning my wedding.  Dreams of wedding cake, a live band, people dancing the night away, not wanting to leave, and a European honeymoon were dancing through my head.  I don’t know of a high school girl who hasn’t thought at least about one aspect of that special day before Mr. Right walked into her life.

Remember though, I said dreams.  When we got down to it, we just did not have the money for those dreams; and looking back, boy was I living in a material world then.  As time went by during my engagement, it was easy to believe that this feeling of sadness would pass as my wedding date got closer.  Unfortunately, it didn’t.  I was more depressed than ever thinking about how I would pay for the few things my parents couldn’t take care of.  Then, what I thought was a rescue boat came into my life.  Its name was CitiFinancial, and it helped me take care of those last minute items on my wedding to do list.  Little did I know what that small account would do to my emotional well being.

Debt and depression were linked in my life.  I reached this high during my engagement when I felt like everything was going to be okay.  I was going to have the husband, the house, the dog, and in a few years a family.  That high lasted 1 month after my wedding day.  My husband and I were beginning our life together and when I was alone, I could not wait for him to come rescue me from the hell I called the three C’s of debt: credit cards, college and car.  Those were plaguing me every day.  It seemed we had used the money we received as wedding gifts to buy big things for our house.  Thankfully we had paid cash for our washer, dryer, refrigerator and stove.  To this day, when I look at those items in my house I feel great about those decisions.

When thinking about depression and debt, both have a lot in common.  They have the ability to escalate or in my case send you in a downward spiral.  Depression sends you further and further away from the happiness and balance you once had while debt spirals you further and further from the money you are earning and a clear balance.  On the same page, depression and debt work together.  Some people I know use shopping to make themselves feel better. Thankfully, that wasn’t something I did.  I took charge of my finances and made sure that what I needed was communicated with my husband instead of what I wanted.  That helped kick depression out of my life.   That is depression’s way of keeping good company with debt.

Do yourself a favor, start saving and make the rest of your life happily ever after.  It works.