Debt Martyrdom
I hate being in pain; a headache, stiff knees, allergies, sore throat or any ailment that affects me gets fast treatment. I don't enjoy taking medicine, but I absolutely hate pain. And if there's a way to get rid of my pain, then I'll find it. A lot of people, though, don't like to take medicine, despite the level of pain. They'd rather suffer, even though it may be hours or even days before they "naturally" get better, than take an aspirin or an anti-biotic that will help them deal with their malady promptly.
That is, after all, a personal choice, so if they don't want to take something that can help them, that's their problem. I accept that. What I can't accept is the whining and crying that this martyr inflicts on the rest of us. You know what I mean, I'm sure... "Oh, my throat is so sore that I can hardly talk, much less swallow." And I'm thinking, "Shut up, then!" Or this person walks around slowly, moaning and groaning all the while about how much they ache, and it's all I can do to keep my eyeballs from rolling up into my head. You want to suffer? Good, suffer in silence, then. Sheesh.
It's interesting, but I'm finding that there are a lot of people around who feel the same about their finances, specifically, their debt. I guess you could call them Debt Martyrs. They are the individuals who would rather suffer with the pain of their debt burden, than accept a remedy. I have to ask it... Why? Do they consider themselves weak for needing help, or unworthy or deserving it? It's highly doubtful that there will be a stained glass window built in their honor when they've gone on to a better place.
Some Debt Martyrs will argue their point with an idiom... "I've made my bed and now I'm going to lie in it" or "I accept the consequences of my actions." I'd have to counter with a couple of idioms of my own; how about, "Bad things happen to good people" and "Mistakes happen." Okay, that wasn't really the words I was going to choose, but this is a family blog, after all.
Yes, you can accept your debt and suffer with it, though it may be years and years before you've got it under control. In the meantime, everything else suffers because of it, most importantly, your quality of life. Consider a migraine that you try to ignore; it begins to affect your thinking, your work, and your health to a greater extent than just your head. Eventually, you just want to go hide in a dark room until the pain passes.
A lot of people have differing opinions (and misconceptions) about bankruptcy. If you need more information about bankruptcy, please take a look at the DebtStoppers Bankruptcy page, or visit the DebtStoppers Video Learning Center to view several videos on the topic of bankruptcy, including Chapter 13 Bankruptcy - A Step by Step Guide, Will Personal Bankruptcy Ruin My Credit? and Is Personal Bankruptcy Just the Easy Way Out? Or simply contact our DebtStoppers bankruptcy and debt relief attorneys and we'll answer all of your questions.
Personal bankruptcy is not a sin or something to be ashamed of, and it's not a panacea. It's the smart way out of debt and a way to avoid potential foreclosure. Think of it like this: Bankruptcy is to debt as aspirin is to a headache. It's really as simple as that.