"It's no wonder we're in the state we're in. From Lehman Brothers and AIG to people who lied on their mortgage applications to buy homes they couldn't afford, we abused and manipulated money -- and then were surprised when it left," Morgana Rae, author of "Financial Alchemy: Create a New Relationship with Money," told United Press International.

People's relationships with money are "as real and dynamic as if they were with another person," said Rae, owner of Charmed Life Coaching in Los Angeles.

Our relationships are often filled with hidden beliefs that cause us to unconsciously push money away, she told UPI.

"Those beliefs may be that money is evil or untrustworthy -- beliefs that cause us to abuse, manipulate or unconsciously 'protect' ourselves from wealth," she said.

"If you were continually abused and manipulated in a relationship, you might take it for a while, but you'd eventually leave. That's the way it is with money," Rae said.

By contrast, if you felt cared for and valued, you'd give more of yourself to the relationship, she said.

"Money is like any other relationship," Rae said. "It comes where it's invited and appreciated. It rarely comes when it's chased. The more you care for this relationship, the more money you will attract."