Peniaphobia: Finding Steady Ground Without Living in Fear

In a destabilized economy such as Nigeria!

There’s a kind of fear that doesn’t just whisper—it grips, tightens, and stays. Peniaphobia, the deep fear of poverty, isn’t just about worrying over money. It can seep into the bones, shape decisions, keep people awake at night, wondering, calculating, bracing for a downfall that may never come.

Some people fear poverty because they’ve lived through it before, felt the sharp edges of scarcity, the humiliation of being unable to afford what they need. Others carry the anxiety from childhood, raised by parents who stretched every coin, who feared that one wrong move could erase everything. And then there are those who, even with stability, can’t shake the dread—that financial security is fleeting, that disaster is always waiting just beyond the horizon.

The problem with peniaphobia isn’t just the fear itself—it’s what it does. It can lead to restless desperation, making people hoard money instead of using it to build, work themselves into exhaustion out of terror that stopping means failure, or make decisions that aren’t about growth but survival.

But there’s a way forward; Steady Over Desperate: Shifting the Mindset

1. Face the Fear, Call It By Name
   Fear loses some of its power when you stop running from it. Acknowledge it. Say, “I’m afraid of losing everything.” Say, “I carry anxiety about money.” Naming the fear makes it something you can work with, rather than something that controls you.

2. Build, Even If It's Slow
   Desperation makes people chase quick fixes—risky investments, extreme frugality, work that drains rather than fulfills. But financial stability isn’t built in panicked leaps. It’s built in steady steps: consistent saving, mindful spending, learning instead of reacting.

3. Shift the Scarcity Mindset
   When you live in fear of poverty, you may see every opportunity as something that could vanish, every setback as proof that you’re failing. But scarcity thinking keeps you trapped. Instead, embrace the idea that wealth can be created, that money flows, that setbacks are not endings but redirections.

4. Let Yourself Live
   Saving is important. Planning is important. But fear-driven frugality can steal life’s small joys. It’s okay to spend on something that makes you happy. It’s okay to invest in experiences, in comfort, in moments that remind you why stability matters in the first place.

5. Find Support
   Peniaphobia can be isolating. If the fear feels suffocating, talk to someone—a friend, a financial advisor, even a therapist who understands how money anxiety works. Sometimes, hearing a different perspective makes all the difference.

You Are More Than Your Fear

Money is important. Stability is important. But fear should never be the reason you make decisions—it should never be the thing pulling the strings. The goal isn’t to live recklessly, but to live wisely, without letting the fear of falling keep you from rising.

You don’t have to live in desperation. You can build steadily, breathe through the worry, and remind yourself that your worth is not measured by your bank balance—but by the way you choose to move forward.

Your Friend,

Duke.