I have lots of clients who only owe credit card debt to the big banks and pay them for years, and when it snowballs beyond their ability to pay from current earnings, they dip into their savings and retirement instead of even considering bankruptcy. They do so mainly to avoid feelings of guilt. ...

You fall behind on your debts. You’ve always paid your debts, so you’re worried. Finally, the calls start coming. Anxiety knaws at your intestines and your shoulders tense when the caller identifies himself or herself as the embodiment of your fears, and pulls at the strings of shame that have been left on the fringes of your tattered finances. ...