Obsession For Money Or Crematomania: What Does It Consist Of?

Who more and who less has a complicated relationship with the monetary issue. It is true that we need it to live and that we would love to have it more often and without less haste. However, there are also those who show a clear obsession with money, bordering on the pathological and thus defining a psychological condition called crematomania.

In these cases, we are faced with a profile that shifts between constant greed and permanent dissatisfaction. Generally, this type of clinical reality affects people who yearn for social recognition and high status. As we can well deduce, one way to achieve this summit is by having a large current account.

Likewise, there is another fact and that is to begin to value everything that surrounds them from an economic prism. For example, whoever assumes this vision assumes that everything is for sale, that it is enough to put a number to achieve anything. That idolatry that often borders on the megalomaniac, leads them to create numerous tensions and differences with a good part of their social environment.

Faced with this image described, the figure of Leonardo Di Caprio in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street can come to mind almost immediately , however, in the most immediate daily life there are much more discreet figures that integrate this characteristic. We analyze it.

Crematomania: definition and characteristics

Crematomania is not easy to diagnose and it is not easy to treat. It is not for two basic reasons. Those who suffer from this blind obsession with money are not always aware of their problem and even less do they take the step to seek expert help. Second, this type of condition, like most obsessions, are very complex in their therapeutic approach. However, there are therapies for this and in many cases it is possible to achieve success.

It is important to indicate that this reality is part of what is known as monetary disorders. And while it is true that these types of alterations are no longer included in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), there are many mental health professionals who highlight their relevance. To neglect or not include these altered behaviors in relation to money is to make invisible a fact that is appreciated with high frequency.

Crematomania defines a pathological obsession with money for which the person neglects any other aspect. His only vital need is to accumulate wealth in whatever way. The material is above the human, the affective and, sometimes, even the moral. Something like this defines exhausting and dangerous situations that should be taken into account more.

Let us now know what characteristics define this obsession.

They associate money with happiness

It is true, we all need to be financially solvent in order to live. However, from there to money being the secret to achieving happiness there are serious nuances to consider.

For this personality, happiness is paid for with a credit card: emotions, pleasure, complicity, laughter … Sooner or later they end up realizing that all those dimensions for which they have paid are false, hollow, empty and cold.

The value of a person is measured based on their checking account

This is another interesting factor. This profile will seek to relate only to figures of high economic power. For them, people are interesting and worthy of being part of their social circle, only if they have good financial capital. Little by little, all their relationships are degraded by this materialistic vision.

Frustration: the need for social recognition

If there is something that the person with crematomania seeks, it is to make a name, to have recognition, fame, power … In this almost obsessive attempt to position himself in society, he will carry out actions that often border on the grotesque and even the unethical.

Crematomania and existential dissatisfaction

Money does not give happiness and the persistent obsession to accumulate it and get it even less. This blind obsession leads to situations of high dissatisfaction and existential anguish. It is therefore common that they lead to anxiety disorders and depression.

The weight of debt, a constant in their lives

Debt traces a recurring problem in the lives of people obsessed with money. Bank debts and outstanding accounts with friends and family to whom they have not returned the loan, trace another very common reality in these cases.

How is it treated?

The doctor

In these cases, it is a priority to receive psychological therapy to avoid extreme situations such as family debt, depression and even addictions. Cognitive behavioral therapy has a high success rate in these situations. The most relevant thing without a doubt is to become aware of the problem and request expert help.