Confession: I blew $10,000 and have nothing to show for it. 😬
Advancing With Amy
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Alright Warrior,
I’m about to tell you something that makes me wince a little.
A couple of years ago, on a complete whim, I pulled $10,000 out of my 401K.
Ten. Thousand. Dollars.
A white woman with medium length, dirty blonde hair, throwing money around.
And I blew it in a few weeks.
I cannot even tell you what I bought. I don’t have a car in the driveway, a remodeled kitchen, or a designer bag to show you. Nothing tangible. Nothing meaningful. Just… gone.
And if you live with ADHD, bipolar disorder, or any flavor of neurospicy brain like I do, you already know this wasn’t just “poor budgeting.”
This was a perfect storm.
Here’s what I think was happening:
• ADHD novelty-seeking — that dopamine hit of “new” feels electric. • Bipolar mania — inflated confidence, impulsivity, urgency. • Zero pause button — when your brain says “DO IT,” it feels like a command, not a suggestion. • Magical thinking — “It’ll be fine. I’ll figure it out later.”
And later always comes, doesn’t it?
With regret. With consequences. With that sinking feeling in your stomach.
Here’s the part I want you to hear though: shame doesn’t fix it.
Understanding does.
So what am I doing differently now?
I’ve built in guardrails because I know my brain.
• I don’t make large financial decisions in elevated moods. • I wait 48–72 hours before any big purchase. • I run it by someone grounded and practical. • I track patterns in my mood and spending together.
Because here’s the truth: willpower is not a treatment plan.
Structure is.
If you’ve ever gone on a spending spree and thought, “Who WAS that person?” you’re not broken. You might have been dysregulated. You might have been chasing dopamine. You might have been manic. You might have been overwhelmed.
But you are not morally flawed.
And we do not have to keep repeating patterns just because our brains lean that way.
We can design our lives around our wiring instead of pretending we don’t have it.
So I’m curious… have you ever done something financially impulsive that made total sense in the moment and zero sense later?
No judgment here. Just real talk.
We don’t heal in silence.
Love Always, Amy Your Mental Health Warrior & Neurodivergent Advocate 💚
P.S. I’ve decided to open up my SKOOL community to everyone for free again — at least until I’ve got more courses and structured goodies inside for you to dig into.
If you’re craving real conversations with other neurodivergent women… if you’re tired of feeling like you’re the only one whose nervous system goes from “I’ve got this” to “abort mission” in 2.5 seconds… if you want a space where mental health is talked about honestly and without judgment…
Come join us.
We talk about regulation, spirals, boundaries, parenting, relationships, burnout, wins, and all the messy middle stuff in between.
To subscribe to my newsletter please enter your e-mail address below. You will be kept in the loop about all new podcast episodes, get information on how life living with mental health and neurodiversity struggles can be and some tips on how to make it easier. You will receive sales e-mails as well for my digital products or coaching. You can unsubscribe at any time if you decide this is no longer for you.
