Stress
DON'T
let financial worries affect your health or your relations with friends and family.
DON'T be an Ostrich - get help to sort out problems NOW.
It doesn't matter how much you may have, or how little you owe, letters and meetings about money make most people worry.
If you owe money to a bank or building society, or have other financial worries or problems, you may feel under a great deal of pressure to pay the maximum amount of money as quickly as possible.
Where you and your family are under stress, this can lead to health problems and put considerable strain on family relationships.
Stress also makes it harder to solve problems - it can be difficult to make decisions, and harder to keep or find a job -or keep a business going- with a sharp sword hanging over your head.
If you are feeling the strain, the NABC Survival Guide says - DON'T Think you are alone -Over 2 Million county court claims for outstanding monies are being processed each year.
Tens of thousands of homes are being repossessed through mortgage and debt problems.
A lot of people have been in the same position - there is no need to re-invent the wheel to sort out your affairs. Find and use their experience and expertise to help you.
DON'T
- Assume you can't get help -All sorts of free advice services offer some help, including ours. -Legal Aid may help pay your legal fees - ask a solicitor All sorts of help services exist. Keep asking until you find one which will help you.
- Feel you 'can't win'. -Financial institutions are big, but because of that they do make mistakes. Keep on looking at the case, with whatever help you can find. Sooner or later you will find something to help you.
- Give up -It will often seem that you can't succeed - that everything takes months to happen. Sometimes this happens through sheer inefficiency, sometimes it may seem a deliberate attempt to break your spirit.
The only person who will work full time on your problems, and keep your interest in mind all the time is YOU.
Keep on taking one step after another.
If nothing else, keep on looking for help - sooner or later you will find it.
DON'T be an 'Ostrich' -If you are involved in a county court hearing or any other legal process it can feel like the end of the world. Don't allow yourself to be pressured into accepting what is happening without a murmur.
Find out what is happening and why.
The reality is usually better than you imagine, and ALWAYS much less frightening.. NABC can help you decide what to do next, discuss options, and suggest local professional help.
Are you suffering from Stress? Are you permanently tired? Do you find it hard to get up in the mornings no matter how early you go to bed? Do you have trouble sleeping? Is it hard to concentrate? Are you easily distracted - irritable, tearful, prone to panic attacks? Is it sometimes difficult to open letters, answer the phone or go to the door?
If any of this sounds familiar - talk to your doctor and do whatever you can to reduce your stress level.
Managing Stress
If you owe money, there is usually a great deal of pressure to pay regardless of whether or not you actually can. The trick is to manage the situation as well as possible.
- OPEN all letters on the day you get them. Do something with each one. If you have too many, send brief acknowledgements and deal with some later.
- GET ADVICE -especially on County Court actions. Talk to the Citizen's Advice Bureau, a local Legal Aid lawyer, your Union or anyone else who can offer help. Don't let such matters slide.
- BE REALISTIC about finances. Offering repayments you can't afford will damage your reputation without solving anything. Find out what you can sell, what you can earn - and how you can reduce your expenses. Do it NOW.
- LOOK AFTER yourself and your family. - if your budget is about to be squeezed, you must avoid more stress and health problems by not being able to afford food, clothes or heating.
- IGNORE any feelings that "it's all your fault", Placing blame is irrelevant - Surviving the current situation is important. Remember those two million County Court actions going through the courts each year.
- ACCEPT NOTHING without understanding it - always ask questions, ask for proof, and do whatever is necessary to make sure that you look after your own interests.
- KEEP NOTES of everything that happens. You may forget important details. If you are involved in a legal dispute, you may forget important evidence. Keep on writing things down as they happen, or as they occur to you.
- PLAN telephone calls - don't deal with a call from your bank or from a solicitor if you feel unhappy about it. Ask the caller to 'phone you or your professional advisor back at a convenient time. If you are making the call, write down in advance what you want. Make sure you ask for it all politely and firmly.
- ADVISE your family what is going on - don't keep them in the dark if the current situation affects them. You will need their help and support to get through this.
- NEVER, NEVER give up. The only person totally looking after your interests is you. It may sometimes be tempting to give up, but that won't stop the pressure. It will put you in a much worse situation than you are now, with no way out.
No matter how bad the position seems, no matter how little you understand what has happened to you - look for the next step and take it; and then the next...and
- CALL NABC if you need help, support, information or advice.
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