Why don’t we see poverty and debt as a trauma? Why don’t we talk about ‘financial trauma’? I was working on a TV programme back in 2022, and talking to the producer about trauma. I gave an example of someone living in poverty, not knowing where the next meal is coming from, worrying about debts & bailiffs, about homelessness - and I used the term ‘financial trauma’. She stopped me and said, ‘I’ve never heard anyone say that you could suffer from trauma from financial issues, but it makes sense. Mainly they just talk about mental health issues.’ She’s right. We only talk about psychological trauma within the medical parameters of ‘mental illness’ and ‘disorder’, instead of financial trauma, poverty, debt, and oppression being recognised, people are told they have mental health issues or need to seek mental health support. This means we don’t look at the structures and environments that people are in when they are struggling, and instead pathologise the individual mind. We do already talk about economic abuse (see Surviving Economic Abuse) and oppression, for example - so it would make sense that what comes from that is financial trauma, not a mental health issue or disorder of the mind. And so I thought I would use this space to say the following: It is not a mental disorder to struggle and not to be able to cope with money worries, debt, eviction, homelessness, economic abuse, financial exploitation and extortion. It is traumatic and distressing to live in constant financial worry. It is scary to be being chased by bailiffs. It is terrifying to worry about losing your home or your possessions. It is a long term, chronic, complex form of trauma. It is likely, (and totally normal) that you would become ill, tired, low, scared, angry, hopeless, helpless, and disillusioned. It is likely that you would start to feel like you are losing control, or that you want to escape. These are normal responses. They are not disorders. Secondly, for those of you who grew up or had a period of life where you were in poverty or homeless, you will notice that you developed coping mechanisms and behaviours that stick with you to this day. It might be that you stockpile food. It might be that you watch money closely, almost becoming obsessive about spending or saving. It might be that you never treat yourself to anything, or you feel guilty when you spend anything on yourself. You might deny yourself food or basic needs. Financial trauma is real. Your responses are valid. Before you accept labels and disorders, consider if you are actually living in constant worry, distress, and trauma from money worries. ❤️