"The credit card companies just sent you an annual spending recap. You looked at the total and felt ... something. Guilt? Anxiety? A vague sense that you should be doing better with money even though you can't articulate what "better" would actually look like? Here's what we see constantly: successful people with solid finances who are absolutely convinced they're on the verge of disaster."
"If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. You might just have something called "money dysmorphia." The term borrows from body dysmorphia, a psychological condition where someone's perception of their appearance doesn't match reality. With money dysmorphia, it's the same concept. The numbers say one thing, but your brain insists on telling you a completely different story. That can show up in a number of (very annoying and frustrating) ways:"
Money dysmorphia describes a mismatch between financial reality and subjective perception, where numbers indicate stability but the person feels precarious. Successful people often save consistently, invest wisely, and spend reasonably while still feeling guilt, anxiety, and a constant fear of imminent disaster. Symptoms include overworking to reach arbitrary targets, feeling guilty about justified purchases, and postponing enjoyable activities despite adequate resources. The underlying issue is anxiety that does not align with objective finances, causing exhaustion and life compromises. Common client concern centers on whether they 'have enough,' often without clarity on what 'enough' means.
Read at San Francisco Bay Times
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