ADHD, Impulsivity & The Wrecking Ball I Used To Demolish My Credit Score

Chapter 01How it all began

"I've been looking into mortgages today."

A sentence I never thought I'd ever be able to say.

Because I've always been beyond terrible with money.

I was ridiculously impulsive, I'd spend money before I even had it, I was never able to save up because I'd subconsciously treat it as backup money for the month and ultimately send it straight back to my current account when I'd inevitably run out of money mid-month, because budgeting was basically an alien concept at this point and I had no clue where to even begin. Budgeting for the month has always felt like a top-secret class with a password protected, locked down Excel sheet, that everyone else had received training for, except me.

Chapter 02I hope the commission was worth it, Banker

I've never had a good credit score until recently, at age 37. Because, at age 18 whilst trying to be responsible, I went into the bank to set up my first adult bank account. Whilst I was there, I was also persuaded (very easily) to get a credit card with an £800 limit. 🤯

Looking back now, my first thought was:

"Wow, how incredibly irresponsible to offer an 18 year old £800, more money than they've probably ever had access to."

And my second thought was:

"But to offer £800 to an impulsive 18 year old with undiagnosed Combined Type ADHD?! Absolute recipe for disaster!"

And, it was.

I obviously took the credit card. And within the space of 3 hours, was an 18 year old in £800 worth of debt that I had no intention and no way of ever paying back. So when I say I've never had good credit, I do mean that in a painfully literal sense.

Chapter 03It gets worse

By the age of 20, I was nearly £5k in debt with credit cards, catalogues, payday loans, provident loans (yes, that Provident where they come to your house for repayments, the modern loan shark), as well as a £1.5k overdraft that I was basically living out of.

My dad came to the rescue and paid off most of it, which I'm pretty sure I still owe him most of the money for. One day, eh Dad? He made me promise not to get myself into this type of mess again, because he won't be coming to the rescue a 2nd time. And with the absolute best of intentions, I promised.

Chapter 04Love will make you do strange things

A promise that was completely broken within 6 months because I'd fallen in love, and I took out a phone contract for him, that he never paid, along with loans, so we could go on holiday together because he didn't work and couldn't afford it. My dad gave me £1.5k for my 21st and I absolutely should have put this towards paying off the debts I'd racked up again or getting a car but did I? I think you already know the answer to this.

No, I didn't. I spent it on hiring a luxury log cabin for the weekend for me and 8 friends and the guy I was in love (slightly obsessed) with. "A free holiday guys?! For my 21st?!" Only the guy I was seeing and 2 friends showed up. I was gutted, and now completely cash broke. Then, to rub salt into the wound, on the holiday I'd paid for, with the phone I was still paying for, I found out the guy I was in love with was texting someone else, and one particular message will stick in my mind forever:

"Ew, no, I'm not with Amy, have you seen her?! She's not my type 😂"

Just, wow. The audacity! You'd think I would have learnt my lesson at that point though wouldn't you? I didn't. My debt spiralled out of control until I had to enter into an IVA (no matter how bad things might seem, PLEASE do not do this! Unless as an absolute last resort!) the single most worst financial decision I have ever made.

Chapter 05Things can only get better

Now, let's wrap this up. I'm not going to sit here and say that being diagnosed and medicated has "fixed me." Far from it.

The medication definitely helps me to focus on the reasons why I absolutely don't need to use Klarna to pay for an electric vegetable peeler and dicer that I've doom scrolled across at 2am, that will ultimately end up gathering dust in the electronic graveyard cupboard, where impulse buys go to die.

For me, repeating this sentence to myself usually works if I'm in the right headspace:

"Is this purchase a need or a want?"

If it's a need, I'll research the cheapest option. If it's a want, I'll pop it in the notes on my phone and if I still want it and I can afford it when payday rolls around, I'll get it.

But, in the words of Donna from Parks & Recreation (great show by the way, highly recommend) "Treat yo'self" sometimes still prevails but... only if I can genuinely afford it at the time.

And I'm delighted to say that as of this month, I'm officially debt free, my credit score has increased by 180 points in the last 12 months and I'm genuinely proud of the progress I've made. Buying little and often on a low credit, credit card and paying it all off every month has been invaluable advice, and an immense help in building my score up.

And now? Now I feel like an almost fully-functional adult, who's looking at mortgages??! Which actually blows my mind. 🤯 (in a good way)

Mortgages that I know nothing about by the way, so if you have any useful tips for getting a 0%-5% deposit mortgage, send many helps. ❤️

If you're struggling with debt and finances at the moment, I'm genuine proof that you can turn it around. Believe me, I have never known anyone worse than me, with handling finances.

And, if you do feel ready to take charge of it, and clear any debts you may have, here are some useful links to get started. I'd recommend talking to ADHD UK first, to hopefully alleviate any overwhelm and concerns, before getting started:

• ADHD UK - A charity offering practical advice, support groups, and resources tailored specifically for people navigating life with ADHD.
• StepChange Debt Charity - Offers free, confidential debt advice and structured repayment plans.
• National Debtline - Provides independent debt advice over the phone or via webchat.
• MoneyHelper - A free, government-backed service offering guidance on budgeting, debt, and mortgages.
• Mental Health & Money Advice - Dedicated support for managing money and debt when living with mental health conditions or neurodivergence.

Good luck! With love & understanding, always. ❤️