Sign that you need professional help now (first half). Regularly missing minimum payments or relying on new credit to pay old balances is a clear and urgent sign to seek debt counseling or professional help. These behaviors indicate a structural cash-flow mismatch: you’re not covering recurring obligations from income and are instead using additional borrowing to patch previous shortfalls. That pattern tends to compound quickly — late fees, higher APRs, and collection activity often follow — and early intervention preserves more options. Professional counselors can help evaluate consolidation, hardship plans, budgeting fixes, or, if necessary, more formal options.

What counseling can provide and next steps (second half). A nonprofit credit counselor will assess income, expenses, and debt load; propose a budget and practical steps; negotiate with creditors; and — if appropriate — set up a debt-management plan. If your situation involves legal or tax complexity, the counselor can refer you to qualified attorneys or tax professionals for specialized advice. Start by collecting recent statements, pay stubs, and a list of recurring bills; bring these to an initial counseling session so the counselor can evaluate whether consolidation, a DMP, settlement, or ultimately bankruptcy (as a last resort) is the right path. Acting now avoids escalation and restores control more quickly than waiting for collection calls.