I can't blame the season

It's wretched outside, dark, wet and cold. January's a bad month.
But then, depending on how you feel, where you are in life, how threatened you feel - it could be any month. Feel terrible and whatever's happening outside just makes you feel worse. Because you'll feel guilty as well.
This is how debt and depression work together. They conspire.
I suspect this is also how many people get into debt. Something to take the depression away. It's a fleeting 'fix'. It's transient, meaningless, and more ammunition for you to use against yourself when you're down in the trough. More guilt. More regrets. More 'foolishness' to deride yourself with.

Now I could sit here and say you're none of those things, but you'll feel that my words won't apply to you. Because you're much worse, I just don't realise how crap a person you really are. How do I know this?
- because I've heard it so many times. It's what we all do when we're down. We hit ourselves again and again.
That's why I mentioned assertiveness a long time ago here. The hardest job a human being has is learning self-respect. It's a life battle we all struggle with.
- and that, sadly, is what DCAs exploit.
They have a brutish, backward... well let's call it 'Damage Psychology'.
They thump when you're down. They thump when you feel you deserve a beating. They thump over the phone. That's their sad, mean little way.

So don't let them. Talk to someone. Go to the Consumer Action Group. Go to Citizen's Advice. Get empowered. Get angry. But above all, give yourself some respect. You deserve better. :) xx