Money is one of the biggest causes of stress and anxiety and can lead to serious mental health issues, writes Kim Masters on Time to Talk Day 2019.

A lot of people bury their head in the sand hoping the problem will disappear. The truth is that financial problems will not just vanish; in fact they will only get worse the more you ignore them.

You just need to win the lottery, right? Not necessarily; The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards stated that nearly a third of lottery winners declare bankruptcy – meaning they were worse off than before they became rich.

It can be embarrassing to discuss financial problems, especially with friends and family; you can feel like a failure. The biggest problem is seeing how you will get out of the situation.

The first step is to take action and talk to someone. There are a number of organisations you can contact from local counselling services to your bank and credit card companies.

A lot of the personal service has gone out of banking with the shift to everything being online, but go to your local branch and speak to the manager and see if they can help.

My bank and credit card companies have dedicated teams who are there to help if you are struggling.

My husband has been unable to work for three years due to mental health problems, which meant we have been under severe financial pressure.

I spoke to his creditors and they were amazing. It was the best thing I did, a weight was lifted from my shoulders.

As a Make Peace With Money consultant, I help people to get finance fit and healthy and one key area I focus on is people’s past relationship with money.

When you are young your brain is at its most absorbent; any emotions concerning money can get stored away and become hardwired without you knowing it and this can have a massive effect on your future relationship with money.

There is no quick fix, but talking to someone is the first and most liberating step you can take. You can learn more about my work at www.makepeacewithmoney.co.uk.