Okay, it’s not a four letter word, but people make it feel like one. Like it’s this bad, taboo thing that no one is ever supposed to talk about. Like it’s this life-altering, devastating event that’s just going to fuck you over for the rest of your life.

If you think about it, if you’re considering filing, you’re probably already fucked. You’re at least sinking under your debt in some regard. And you know what? That’s okay. Lots of people get there at some point or another in their lives. We fuck up, we make mistakes, life shits on you and you make poor choices.

Bankruptcy isn’t some four letter word, it isn’t going to end your life, and it isn’t going to end your finances. You know what it can be? An escape, a way out from a mountain of debt, a way to resolve your fuck ups. Yeah, it’s going to trash your credit for a few years, but if you’re already thinking about it your credit is probably already trashed, or you’re struggling to keep up with your payments to your creditors.

You know what? You can rebuild your credit (credit is complete bullshit anyway, IMO, some fucking arbitrary number that decides how good you are in the financial world. Whoopie. As long as you can make your payments, who cares what your credit is?). It wont stay low forever.

I’m currently in the process of filing — my lawyer should actually be submitting it today — and you know what? I’m not embarrassed. I’ll be 36 this year, and I made some bad financial choices after my divorce. Shit happens. At least I’m trying to fix it instead of continuing to sink. At least I’m trying to have a better financial situation going forward. Learn from your mistakes, fix them, and move on with your life.

If you’re considering filing, it wont be the end of the world. Find a lawyer (I found mine on google maps, seriously. Read reviews there, then google the firm and see if there’s other reviews floating around for them!), they should offer free consultations and will be able to tell you if you qualify or not.