Crematomania, also known as obsession with money, is a psychological disorder characterized by the compulsive need to accumulate wealth and material goods. People with crematomania can feel excessive concern about money and see their health, interpersonal relationships and other important areas of their life affected. In order to access certain benefits during life, it is necessary to have financial resources that open up possibilities for us. The idea of getting material objects, having rewarding experiences and eating high-value food sounds good to the vast majority of human beings. However, when this ambition becomes an obsession we could find ourselves before a picture of crematomania.
In this Psychology-Online article we explain What is crematomania (obsession with money) and how to overcome it.
Index
- What is the obsession with money or crematomania
- Causes of crematomania
- Symptoms of crematomania
- What are the consequences of addiction to money?
- How to overcome obsession with money
What is the obsession with money or crematomanía.
When we talk about the obsession with money or crematomanía we refer to a mental health disorder characterized by fixed and rigid ideas of accumulating money and/or material objects.
People with crematomania can be very stingy with their money and have serious difficulties spending or investing their money in activities that are normally enjoyable for other people. In some cases, they may even experience anxiety, depression, and other psychological symptoms associated with excessive worry about money.
Despite the fact that this condition is intended to obtain assets and/or capital, it does not correspond to the will of the person to carry out actions aimed at it. As a result of this, it is considered a serious pathology within the field of mental disorders.
Diagnostic criteria for crematomania
Although this mental health disorder is not cataloged within the DSM-V[1], the crematomania could be located within the obsessive-compulsive disorder. Below we will detail the corresponding diagnostic criteria:
- thoughts and intrusive impulses.
- The person tries to avoid these thoughts or impulses.
- Deterioration of social relationships, work and family because of the symptoms experienced.
- The alterations cannot be explained by the presence of another mental disorder or by the intake of toxic substances and/or medications.
Causes of crematomania.
In order to investigate a little more in detail about this pathology, one of the variables that must be considered responds to the origins. In this section, we will allude to the causes of crematomania:
Environmental factors
The life's experiences They play a fundamental role in managing emotions, behaviors and thoughts. In general, the idea of obtaining money generates an imperious happiness that can cause you to set aside the prejudices regarding this issue and radical changes occur in the life of a person.
On the other hand, the observation of family behaviors They are also usually associated with crematomania because they make up the personality. In other words, a family member may suffer from obsessions, compulsions, difficulty spending money, among others.
Genetic factors
The incidence of genes It is another of the factors that are related to the appearance of the obsession with money. There are disturbances in the functioning of the Central Nervous System related to the processing of information coming from abroad. For this reason, people who suffer from crematomania could have certain neural connections affected.
In short, if a parent was diagnosed with this clinical picture, there is a high probability that the person will repeat the same behavior patterns.
Symptoms of crematomania.
To detect this mental disorder early, it is important to pay attention to a person's physical, emotional, and behavioral manifestations. Here are the main symptoms of obsession with money:
- Difficulty enjoying achievements.
- Inability to part with money and/or objects.
- Complexity in establishing social relationships.
- Anxiety.
- Excessive distress. In this article we explain How to remove the anguish.
- sweating.
- Body tremors.
- Recurring and catastrophic thoughts about money.
- Avoidance of situations linked to economic expenses.
It should be noted that the presence of any of these symptoms in isolation does not necessarily constitute a picture of crematomania. Therefore, it is essential that the diagnosis be made by a mental health professional based on the qualities of each person.
What are the consequences of addiction to money?
addiction to money can lead to a series of risk behaviors both for the person himself and for third parties given the seriousness of the condition. Related to this, crematomania can be an indicator of the presence of other mental disorders in the same person.
For this reason, consistency should not be taken away from the presentations that manifest in those who suffer from this pathology. In this article you will find more information about the Obsession in psychology: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatment.
How to overcome the obsession with money.
Although crematomania represents a crucial problem for a person's life, there are some solutions that aim to improve the quality of life. In the next items, we will develop how to overcome the obsession with money:
psychological therapy
therapy is a space that invites reflection and the development of strategies according to the particularities of each person according to the problem in question. In the case of the obsession with money, one of the most effective alternatives is psychoanalysis, which treats a person's obsessions by locating their origins in the past. Understanding the problems will allow adopting other tools when facing a problematic situation.
On the other hand, cognitive-behavioral therapy addresses the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of the present. Both approaches are valid, only the theoretical framework is modified.
psychiatric medication
In the event that the symptoms are of considerable severity that prevent the development of daily activities, the supply of psychiatric drugs as anxiolytics can reduce the intensity of the picture. However, it is essential that the intake of psychiatric medication is always supervised by a mental health professional.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is crematomania (obsession with money) and how to overcome it, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition). Arlington: Panamerican Medical Editorial.
Bibliography
- Wainszelbaum, V. (2005). The object in obsessive neurosis. The particularity of money. XII Conference on Research and First Meeting of Researchers in Psychology of Mercosur. Faculty of Psychology - University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires.
