Thu Wrote Me And Said “I’m Really Struggling, My Husband is Disabled, How Can I Get Out Of Debt?”

Posted by Steve Rhode

September 24, 2008

Thu wrote to me through the GetOutOfDebt.org site and asked me the following question. If you have a question you want to ask, visit the GetOutOfDebt.org site and ask. I’m here to help for free.

“Dear Steve,

I’m married, my husband is disabled. I have 3 growing children and a 6 year old disabled child. My payroll checks go straight to bills. I use the credit card for foods and miscellaneous household items. I’m really struggling.

I go to work in deep depression and stressful almost everyday.

How do I get out of my debt? I’m not the type of person that always go shopping or buying stuffs that I don’t need. Please give me some advice that can help me go through this tough situation.

Thanks,
Thu”

Dear Thu,

First, let me offer you a big bear hug and give you my virtual shoulder to lean on. I’m so sorry that you are living through this right now and I can feel, from your words, how oppressive and stressful it must be.

Your open statement about the “deep depression” you are living with, concerns me. Depression is not conducive to getting out of debt. In fact, living with depression leaves you unable to make long-range plans, unable to follow through, unable to execute comprehensive plans, unable to deal with the hurdles that you face every day.

If at all possible I’d like for you to seek help for your depression first. This might be through talk therapy or medicine or a combination of both. If you can get help for your depression then facing your situation will become easier to deal with. Here is a list of places you can go to get help with depression and some of them may be free for you.

I don’t know what the balance of your bills are right now but I am sure they are growing since you mentioned that you are using the credit cards to pay for food and household items. That is never a good sign. What that tells me is that you can’t afford to live within your current income and that’s a huge problem.

Now is the time to search for benefits that may be available for you. You may be eligible for government benefits and you can search here for those.

Unless you are able to increase your income or reduce your expenses, then getting help with medical, assistance, housing and food benefits will be critical to you.

While bankruptcy is an option to eliminate your bills, if you can’t live within your income now, discharging your bills in bankruptcy isn’t going to help you to make it from day-to-day, that is unless the money you are paying on your bills now would help to bridge your cash valley you have right now.

If you want to learn more about bankruptcy, speak to a bankruptcy attorney and ask for a free bankruptcy review.

I think the best your solution will lie in a three step approach:

Treatment for your depression.
Discovering benefits you are eligible for.
Bankruptcy

Big hug.

Steve

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