Myvesta News Release

ROCKVILLE, Md. — The upcoming holiday season will be stressful enough without having to worry about your finances. Studies have shown that people with money troubles suffer from more emotional problems than people without money related stress. Left alone, anxieties stemming from money problems can blossom into larger issues.

"Money related stress often leads to depression which can paralyze a person emotionally. That causes the inability to come up with a plan of action to deal with the financial issues," said Steve Rhode, president and co-founder of Myvesta, a financial health center. "At that point the financial problems get worse and a person can sink deeper into depression. It just snowballs from there."

According to a survey by Myvesta, almost half of people with problem debt can be classified as depressed. Of those just under 40 percent reported symptoms of severe depression. In comparison, studies have shown that 9.5 percent of the general population is clinically depressed.

"The emotional aspect of money is huge," Rhode said. "Our feelings and desires, rather than our cash flow, often control how we spend. When someone gets into trouble it's the emotional triggers that can cause the most financial damage, and that is something that simple number crunching or payment plans cannot fix."

"When experiencing money problems it's best to get professional help as soon as possible, before the situation is out of control," Rhode added.

Information on dealing with debt related stress can be found in Myvesta's publication, "Money and Stress: How to Keep Your Money Worries From Killing You." It is available online at Myvesta.org.

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Myvesta^SM is dedicated to helping people create healthy financial lives. The organization provides a wide range of materials to inspire and inform people so that they can break down their barriers to financial and personal success. For more information visit Myvesta.org online.