Have you ever heard that old adage, "Hair of the Dog that bit you?" It's supposedly a cure for hangovers. The idea is that since you've poisoned your system by imbibing too much alcohol, a little more alcohol (i.e. "hair of the dog") will cure the symptoms.
According to Wikipedia (I realize I likely have lost all of your respect) the origin of the phrase is literal, and comes from an erroneous method of treatment of a rabid dog bite by placing hair from the dog in the bite wound.
Have you ever had a debt hangover? You know..you stumble out of bed, look at yourself in the mirror and think, "how in the world did this happen?" Well, if you find yourself up to your armpits in debt, don't for a minute think that maybe a debt consolidation loan or second mortgage may fix what ales you. This 'hair of the dog' is just more debt and you don't fix a problem with having a little more of the same.
People can get out of debt when they change their behavior. Stop spending more money than you have, cut up the credit cards if that is the poison that got you in this situation and stay on a budget. A recent study showed that most people that get serious about getting out of debt can accomplish being debt free (with the exception of the home mortgage) in 24-30 months.
If you need debt counseling go get it. Be careful not to respond to some offer that end up being more 'hair of the dog'. Many churches offer great services such as 'Financial Peace University' or 'Good $ense Ministry'. S top spending more than your income, get on a budget and pay off your debt.
