Understanding Over-Saving Disorder:

Over-Saving Disorder:

Over-Saving Disorder (also called Compulsive Saving or Hoarding of Money) is not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, but it is recognized in psychology and financial therapy as a maladaptive money behavior. It involves an excessive and irrational tendency to save money far beyond what is necessary for security or future needs, often leading to emotional, relational, or functional problems.

Key Features

Excessive Fear of Spending — Persistent anxiety about running out of money, even when finances are secure.

Over-Accumulation — Saving far beyond realistic future needs; reluctance to invest, donate, or spend on self-care.

Emotional Drivers — Underlying fear, guilt, or trauma related to scarcity (often rooted in childhood deprivation or financial instability).

Functional Impairment — Neglecting health, relationships, or life satisfaction because of refusal to spend.

Control and Safety — Money becomes a symbol of control, security, or self-worth.

Possible Psychological Roots

• Trauma or Scarcity Background: Growing up in poverty, economic instability, or with financially anxious caregivers.
• Anxiety Disorders: Generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive traits (money as a “safety ritual”).
• Control Issues: Using money to feel safe in an unpredictable world.
• Identity & Self-Worth: Belief that having (and not spending) money defines one’s value.

Consequences

• Strained relationships (partners feeling deprived or controlled).
• Missed opportunities (investments, experiences, medical care).
• Chronic anxiety and inability to enjoy financial stability.

Treatment Approaches

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Challenging catastrophic thinking about spending.

Financial Therapy: Combining psychological insight with financial planning.

Gradual Exposure: Practicing small, meaningful spending to build tolerance. Addressing Trauma: Processing early experiences of scarcity or neglect.

Values-Based Spending: Learning to align money use with personal values and life goals.

Clinical Strategies for working with clients who Over-Save:

Here are clinical strategies for working with clients who exhibit Over-Saving Disorder (compulsive saving behaviors):

1. Assessment and Understanding the Behavior

• Explore Money History: Ask about childhood experiences with money, scarcity, or parental attitudes.
• Identify Core Beliefs: Uncover thoughts such as “If I spend, I’ll lose everything” or “I’m only safe if I have enough.”
• Assess Impairment: Determine how saving impacts relationships, health, and quality of life.
• Distinguish From Hoarding: Clarify that this is about saving/withholding money, not physical clutter.

2. Build Awareness and Psychoeducation

• Normalize Anxiety but Challenge Extremes: Explain how financial caution is healthy, but rigidity can be harmful.
• Psychoeducation on Money Psychology: Teach how over-saving often stems from fear rather than rational planning.
• Highlight Opportunity Costs: Help them see what they’re missing out on (relationships, experiences, health).

3. Cognitive and Emotional Interventions

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
• Challenge catastrophic predictions (“If I spend $100, I’ll end up homeless”).
• Replace with balanced thoughts (“I have savings, and spending on health is an investment.”).
• Schema Therapy: Address deep-rooted schemas (scarcity, control, mistrust).
• Emotion-Focused Work: Validate fear, then explore the emotional meaning of money (security, love, identity).

4. Behavioral Strategies

• Values-Based Budgeting: Create a budget that includes a mandatory “joy” or “well-being” spending category.
• Gradual Exposure: Start with small, safe expenditures to reduce anxiety.
• Behavioral Experiments: Track emotional responses before and after spending to challenge irrational fears.
• Set Boundaries for Saving: Establish a cap for savings beyond which money must be allocated elsewhere.

5. Relational & Systemic Work

• Couples/Family Therapy: If over-saving creates conflict, facilitate communication and compromise.
• Integrate Financial Professionals: Collaborate with financial planners to reassure client of objective security.

6. Address Underlying Trauma and Anxiety

• Trauma-Informed Care: Explore whether early deprivation or financial instability still drives fear.
• Mindfulness & Somatic Regulation: Teach skills to tolerate anxiety associated with spending.

7. Long-Term Goals

• Shift from fear-based saving to purposeful financial planning.
• Foster a healthy money identity: “I am secure and can enjoy my resources responsibly.”
• Encourage legacy thinking: Spending as a way to create meaning (experiences, generosity, relationships).

Shervan K Shahhian