If money has been feeling rather heavy for you recently, or maybe you're waking up in the middle of the night worrying about money, I want you to first of all know that you are not alone and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you have debts.

This episode is specifically about debt and shame, and I'm going to be sharing what happened for me when I was in £35,000 of debt - a story I've rarely told publicly because of the deep shame I carried around it for years. The truth is, debt isn't just about the numbers on a statement; it's about the weight of secrecy, the fear of judgement, and the exhausting cycle of hiding your financial reality whilst trying to maintain a successful exterior.

Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on my own debt journey, why shame keeps us trapped in destructive patterns, and the exact steps that helped me break free - not just from the debt itself, but from the suffocating belief that owing money meant I was fundamentally broken.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Debt and Shame

10:24 The Emotional Side of Money

15:07 Practical Strategies for Debt Management

24:30 Combining Emotional Healing with Financial Strategies

Debt helplines

- **StepChange:** 0800 138 1111

- **National Debtline:** 0808 808 4000

- **Citizens Advice:** 0800 144 8848

If you're dealing with ADHD, depression, or anxiety affecting your money behaviours - **get mental health support:**

- **Samaritans:** 116 123 (24/7)

- **ADHD UK:** adhduk.co.uk

- **Mind:** 0300 123 3393

Resources:

Get my FREE book 'It's Not About The Money'

Take the Money StoryTypes® Quiz

Sign up to my FREE Newsletter

Become a Certified Financial Coach

Get my FREE "5 Hidden Money Beliefs" Framework for Coaches.

Take the '5 Hidden Money Beliefs + 3-Zone Self-Check'

Download more resources at themoneypanel.co.uk/breakingmoneycycles

Listen to previous podcast episode Master Female Financial Freedom in 1 Hour: Everything They Never Taught Women About Money