Anxiety about being destitute

Anxiety Resource

Hi, one of my most persistent anxieties since I was a kid is becoming poor/destitute. The kicker is there seems to be nothing in my life that supports this. I did not grow up poor, not rich either but both my parents earned enough to support our family and put away a decent chunk for retirement. My family is fairly financially responsible, I live way below my means and have saved up some money of my own. Still the anxiety persists, and I set very hard rules for how much I can spend, focus on saving obsessively, and constantly worry about if I’m going to go bankrupt one day.

I’ve also done quite well in school, now I’m looking to apply to professional school but I’m terrified of how much loans I will have to take out and worry obsessively about whether I could pay them off, what if I get kicked out, or if my family will need this money later. The anxiety is getting so bad I’m waking up depressed every day and keep second guessing myself. I’ve also realized that in addition to professional fulfillment, a lot of my professional goals are out of fear of not having enough money despite living very cheaply.

I’ve tried almost everything. I’ve gone on meds, been in therapy for years, did CBT, DBT, etc. I do have access to a care team. Any tips or suggestions to help would be appreciated.

Posted Dec 1, 2025, 3:01 AM UTC

30
Loading comments…