Sit down and prioritise your responsibilities. For example, meeting essential repayments such as your mortgage and utility bills should be your first concern.

If you are paying off multiple credit card bills, you should pay off those with the highest rate of interest first.

Most lenders are sympathetic to people who cannot afford repayments. Recovering debt can be very expensive to them, so they are often willing to work out an agreement with you.

The best way to handle your worries about debt is to arm yourself with information – not just any information, but credible, reliable, and well-backed information on credit. When you grasp the reality of the situation, it will calm your fears.