Financial Crisis
Your financial situation plays are large part in meeting your basic needs. These needs include shelter (safety), food/water and clothing. Other important needs include access to healthcare, education and sanitisation.
When you are unable to meet these needs, you are basically in survival mode. Your reptilian brain is most likely in the lead. Paul MacLean (in describing part of his triune brain theory) first coined this term to describe that part of the brain that results in us acting out of instinct and impulse with less involvement with the thinking part of the brain.
Anxiety, anger, depression and disassociation may be side effects of dealing with trauma related to an inability to get basic needs met. This does not make things easier to work towards obtaining more financial control.
Financial Control Is The Key
We are NOT financial advisors or accountants. We are, however, interested in offering insight with respect to your financial wellbeing. The more in control you feel of your financial situation the more likely it is that you will feel happy. Indeed, this is one key aspects of the ‘golden triangle of happiness’, according to Robert Cummins (Deakin University Emeritus Professor) and based on the results from the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index survey (2015).
One of the interesting points that came of out this survey was that being super wealthy does not guarantee happiness. More money makes you happier but only to a certain point, say $100,000 a year. However, once you reach that point you don’t get much happier by earning more. Interestingly, lower income earners who are in control of their finances are likely to feel happier than those with more money but less in financial control.
The great thing about happiness being related to feeling in control of your finances (and not the dollars in your bank account) is that you may be able to achieve it deciding you will work towards identifying the steps you can take to improve things. Scott Pape (Barefoot Investor) says that you don’t need to wait and recommends a realistic plan of action based on paying down debt, working hard, saving and investing (conservatively). Being in financial crisis is likely to significantly impact your wellbeing and lead to considerable
emotional distress.
Contact Information: Help In A Financial Crisis
We here at Wellbeing Therapy Space put our heads together to come up with our typical “go to”
contact points for people in crisis in Perth. This is not an extensive list, just what came to mind.
– The Crew. They provide food hampers, counselling and financial counselling support http://www.thecrew.org.au/
– The Salvation Army. They are known to provide emergency relief http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/en/Get-Assistance/Emergency- Relief/
– Food Bank. They provide low cost food or hampers to those who are disadvantaged. They have their warehouse based at the airport. Food bank may also drive out and provide food hampers to many organisations including schools for disadvantaged. They are a big contributor to breakfast program https://www.foodbank.org.au/
– St Vincent De Paul provide a range of services including financial counselling, food hampers emergency relief etc. https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Contacts/WA/
– Free Financial Counselling 1800 007 007
– Starting Over Support. They provide household items and furniture to those who are starting over and setting up a new home after a crisis https://www.startingover.org.au
– The Barefoot Investor. They claim to provide independent financial advice https://www.barefootinvestor.com/
A more comprehensive list can be found on the link below. This document provides a referral guide for support services in Western Australia.
https://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/CrisisAndEmergency/FDV/Documents/FDV%20Referral%20Guide%2
0April%202013.pdf
You will find information on:
– 24-hour services
– Advocacy and support services
– Crisis accommodation
– Victim support services/family violence services
– Counselling services for Children and Young People
– Counselling services
– Women’s Health Centres
– Sexual assault
– Safe at home / Domestic Violence Outreach Initiatives
– Men’s services
– Mental health
– Elder abuse
– Legal Assistance
– Police Stations
– Department for Child Protection
– Child custody and access, separation and divorce issues
– Multicultural services