You cannot believe that you are caught in this mess. You’ve always been in good standing with regards to financial matters. Your friends and family simply won’t understand. Should you tell your wife? Will she leave you if she knows that you have incurred a mountain of debt in your joint estate?

How will your neighbours take it if they see that you have sold your car and you are now walking wherever you need to go? Maybe you could tell them that you’ve taken a vow to a healthy and fitness orientated lifestyle. Will they believe you?

You can’t tell anyone you know about the situation you are in, and emotionally it’s draining you. You don’t think that speaking about it would help. In fact, you believe that it will only make matters worse, seeing that you will need to deal with the shame of being overly indebted as well as having to pay off the debt.

Isn’t it a shame that a responsible, smart, independent and trustworthy adult like yourself could not even manage their own financial well-being?

1.It is not a shame. In fact, it is a common occurrence and one situation that you can turn around if you have the courage to admit you have a problem, and find the means to solve it.

“About five million South Africans are battling with over-indebtedness, the FinScope South Africa 2013 financial survey shows. That is almost 14% of the total number of South Africans older than 16” – http://www.moneyweb.co.za/moneyweb-economic-trends/five-million-south-africans-drowning-in-debt

STEP TWO: Accept that you have a solvable, commonly overall problem.