ARE you worried about debt but do not want to admit it? You are not alone, especially on the internet. Sometimes knowing that others are in the same, if not worse, financial mess is the first step to finding the courage to deal with it. Denial, however, is often the way to serious money problems, says Bigwhitewall.com , the support network website.

Anyone burdened by money worries can use Bigwhitewall, where other indebted users post their concerns anonymously and await sup-portive comments from others. Many sections on the site have nothing to do with money advice. For example, one post asks: “Does love exist?” However, the debt section is becoming increasingly popular, says Charlotte Vere, director of Bigwhitewall.

Ms Vere says: “Being in debt is often caused by an addiction to spending, which is usually caused by underlying emotional turmoil. Without sorting out one, you cannot sort out the other. By encouraging people to be open, honest and anonymous, we hope that they will start the process of getting all aspects of their life in order, including their problems with spending and debt.”

The link between money worries and mental health is well documented. A survey by AXA, the insurer, found that 78 per cent of the population claim to have been affected by money worries. One in four Britons said that the symptoms were emotional, while 16 per cent blamed financial difficulties for relationship problems. This week the Church of England pledged to offer debt counselling among its services to churchgoers.

On Bigwhitewall, one user writes about how a failed relationship led to overcompensating through spending. Another confesses that reports of the credit crunch have brought on panic attacks. The site has useful information sections, including one entitled “Are you addicted to debt?” There are also more light-hearted items, such as one that asks: “Are you a giver or a taker?”

For other chat-room forums on debt problems, check out forums.moneysavingexpert.com , where you will find a thread entitled “debt-free wannabe”. Here, a self-titled “cyber family” of borrowers struggling with debt offer each other advice and support. Alternatively, ivillage.co.uk offers a chat forum designed exclusively for women seeking advice and support. A fairly new website, credit-crunch.co.uk , where worried web-surfers can voice their opinions on the UK’s credit crisis, offers a “your debt” section.

Sharing with cyber-strangers may be cathartic, but for practical tips, the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) website, www.adviceguide.org.uk , has a step-by-step guide, while Axa’s website, mybudgetday.axa.co.uk , offers budgeting advice and tools to help you to work out what you can afford. Alternatively, you can speak to an adviser by calling the National Debt-line on 0808 8084000.

CAB staff should also have access to a list of contact details for local doctors and counsellors for anyone stressed out by debt.

To find counsellors in your area, visit counsellingdirectory.org.uk , or the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, at bacp.co.uk/seeking_therapist .

CASE STUDY

A PROBLEM SHARED

JENNY HYATT co-founded Bigwhitewall when she encountered debt problems after a relationship break-up last year.

The 48-year-old from North London says: “People have lost their traditional support networks. I have a good friendship network, but debt is still something that, for most people, goes undiscussed with friends. There is evidence to show that people are more comfortable talking about sex than they are about finances. A website that enables people to share openly, honestly and anonymously felt ideal.”