This online article provides an interesting 7-step “how to” handle the emotional implications of debt:

Acknowledge that you are in debt and in over your head.
Forgive yourself and focus on repaying.
Understand how you got here so that you do not return in the future.
Make a plan to break the overspending habit.
Do not make the problem worse [...]

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office released information regarding credit-related scams.  “Consumers searching for an easy way out of their credit problems are susceptible to a wide range of credit-related scams in addition to credit repair fraud,” the PA Attorney General’s office states.  Some examples provided are as follows:
Checking Account Scams
One of the latest scams [...]

Remembering and following these important tips, provided by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office (relevant nationwide), will go a long way in protecting your credit by protecting your personal information:

Don’t give personal informationon the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet, unless you’ve initiated the contact or know with whom you’re dealing.
Ask your financial institutions [...]

Pennsylvania initiated a new program to assist Pennsylvanians facing financial difficulties (i.e. credit, finance, and bankruptcy) called “Get Help Now PA!“  The program provides free assistance and referrals on issues related to credit, finance, and bankruptcy by visiting a help desks staffed by volunteer lawyers and financial professionals.
Beginning on July 7, 2009 through September 11, [...]

If you are currently participating in a debt management plan (DMP), you must read the following article by the Federal Trade Commission regarding what to do if the company administering your DMP goes out of business:
What happens to your DMP if the credit counseling company that managed your debts shuts down? A counseling agency [...]

If you are currently participating in a Debt Management Plan (DMP), you must read the following article by the Federal Trade Commission:
The FTC has found that some organizations that offer DMPs have deceived and defrauded consumers, and recommends that consumers check their bills to make sure that the organization fulfills its promises. If [...]

A debt management plan (DMP) is a method of paying personal debts.  It typically involves accounting for all debts, assessing income and budget, then negotiating interest rates and payments with lenders.  DMPs are usually a managed, informal arrangement with creditors.
Reputable credit counseling organizations employ counselors who are certified and trained in consumer credit, money [...]

Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:

Social Security Benefits
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
Veterans’ Benefits
Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
Service Members’ Pay
Military Annuities and Survivors’ Benefits
Student Assistance
Railroad Retirement Benefits
Merchant Seamen Wages
Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Death and Disability Benefits
Foreign Service Retirement and Disability [...]

If you don’t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, [...]

If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter – even if you don’t think you owe the debt, can’t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake.  If you contact the debt [...]