For most of us, money and emotions are tied together, strangely, considering the clearly black and white aspects of accounting (all too often pointed out to us by debt collectors). It often takes cash though to experience things in life, so we associate happiness with being able to spend, and sometimes misery with not being able to keep up with our expected standard of life. No one likes the sense of losing control, and especially not when it comes to finances. If you have fallen deeply into debt, you may be under considerable stress, from trying to figure out how to make ends meet and pay off bills to wondering how to deal with the endless stream of calls and mail from debt collectors.
Not surprisingly, studies have shown that stress over money can lead to serious problems with your health to include depression and anxiety, migraine headaches, and even heart attacks! Sleep issues are common too and can affect you adversely—especially if you find yourself lying awake into the wee hours wondering how to turn the situation around. Many of us don’t have time to process everything going on in our lives until we crawl into bed exhausted at night, only to be left sleep deprived after ruminating about what bills are due and what the future holds. Our finances are deeply interwoven into most facets of our lives, and stress associated when there is a downturn is something many of us go through:
“Basically, it invades your home, your work, what you’re able to provide for your family, and your fantasies for the future,” explains Kelly McGonigal, PhD, a psychologist and researcher from Stanford University. “There are studies that show it’s not how much money you owe that predicts depression and health problems. It’s how much you worry about it.”
“When people are in debt or worried about losing their home or job, often they will try to hide it for a long time,” says McGonigal. “A huge thing with money is the stigma. In this culture, that’s a huge part of identity—what we own, where we live, what we do.”
If you are worried about escalating debt or have already been served with a collection lawsuit, it is in your best interest to reach out and to do so quickly. The temptation for many consumers and debtors is to just avoid the situation or to procrastinate in dealing with responding to legal action. And while that may be less of a problem if you have absolutely nothing to lose, a default judgment could mean having your pay garnished, losing assets due to seizure, and freezing of bank accounts.
Speak with an attorney from Fitzgerald & Campbell, APLC as soon as possible to examine your options. Our attorneys have decades of experience in serving clients as they navigate through challenging financial situations, to include student loan issues, bankruptcy, and other debt management processes. We are here to help! Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation, call us at (844) 431-3851, or email us at info@debtorprotectors.com.