Right at the beginning of The Great Recession, the consumer products startup that entrepreneur Kimberly Faith had built from the ground up collapsed. She tried everything to save it, including throwing her last bit of savings into the company, but nothing worked. And even though she was devastated, she kept her despair—and her credit card debt—a secret from her friends and family. "I was too humiliated and frightened to reach out to others," she says.

Faith is not alone. The average American household carries a $5,700 credit card balance , and about 44 million Americans are racked with student loan debt . And, like Faith, many people instinctually want to keep their debt to themselves. For some, it's a matter of privacy; they've been conditioned to keep their finances to themselves no matter what. For others, debt is a source of serious shame, a situation they feel is indicative of their greater irresponsibility. Some even feel it represents their failure as a person. And still others simply feel alone in their financial woes, like no one could possibly understand what they're going through, let alone help them through it.

Whatever the exact reason many people choose to hide their debt, the fact is that it's extremely pervasive in our society—and it takes a bigger emotional toll on our psyches than we may realize. Fortunately, though, there's one way to ease the mental struggle, and it has nothing to do with an actual budget: Reach out to your loved ones for support. "In fact, statistically, they may be facing the same challenges you are—they just aren't talking about it either,"Catherine Alford , a family finance expert, tells SELF. Here's how your network can help you emerge out of your debt cocoon feeling OK about yourself—and how to seek out their support the right way.

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You can get by with a little help from your friends.

When Faith's business first collapsed, she was so down about it that she couldn't even fathom turning to her friends for support. "But that was a big mistake," she recalls now. Once she finally broke down and turned to a few trusted friends, they reassured her that she wasn't the epic failure she believed she had become, and she could turn things around. They also rallied around her in ways she never could have imagined. "It was the simplest of gestures that made the biggest difference: a hug, a bag of groceries, a card, a text of encouragement, even $5 so I could put gas in my car," Faith says. "Without their help, I would not be where I am today."

Indeed, opening up to loved ones—whether it's your friends, your family, or your significant other—is a valuable tool in your arsenal to attack debt. "Getting the support of your family and friends is absolutely integral to your financial success," says Alford. "When you want to get out of debt, you really need those closest to you supporting you and understanding that you might not be able to go out to eat or vacation like you used to, as opposed to making the process more difficult."

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Aside from positive encouragement, though, your friends can also help keep you accountable—another key ingredient to taking on your debt. "We thrive when we are held accountable," explains Alford. Friends who know what you're going through can encourage you to join them for a night in, not out, for example, or serve as a sounding board when you want to try out a new budget plan. "I've heard many wonderful stories of co-workers starting budgeting clubs and bringing brown bagged lunches together," Alford says.

That's exactly what Dontaira Terrell, a freelance journalist and consultant, did. Together, she and her friends scrapped their gym memberships and scheduled time to work out together each week outside of the gym. "We'd bike ride, take walks around our neighborhoods, or work out with exercise DVDs in our living rooms," she says. Her group of friends also cancelled their cable accounts and instead took advantage of one of their friend's apartment complex, which had a communal space—and a TV. "We would bring our favorite homemade dinners, watch our favorite shows, and just enjoy each other's company," Terrell says. "Sometimes, we'd even bring games to play, too."

Alford couldn't agree more. "You'd be surprised by how much support you can receive when you talk about your debt publicly," she says. After all, debt is extremely common, so chances are, there are more people in your social network going through it than you realize—it's just that people aren't speaking about it. "Ultimately, the less taboo money is as a topic, the more people will be willing to come together, discuss it, and achieve financial success together," Alford continues.

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But choose your confidantes wisely.

Clearly, it can be a good idea to confide in your friends and family about your debt. But that doesn't mean you should keep everyone and anyone in the loop on your finances. It's still best to be discerning about who exactly you tell—and also to ask them to keep your finances confidential. "No one wants their grandmother asking about their credit card balances at the Thanksgiving dinner table," says Alford, "so think carefully about who your support system will be and how exactly you want them to support you. Maybe one particular person is best at just being a listening ear, yet you want another who will actively help you create a budget spreadsheet each month."

That said, while you can and should choose to take their advice, you should rarely take their money. "Unless it's a matter of extreme urgency, you shouldn't take out a loan from a friend of family member," Alford advises. "Not only does it put your relationship with them at risk if you're unable to pay them back, it can also get awkward spending time with them or going out to eat with them when you owe them money," she continues. Her advice: "If at all possible, use all other means to earn the money you need for a loan before asking for one from someone you know."

That's a situation public relations manager Lauren Scarpa knows all too well. When she was laid off from her job at a non-profit organization, one of her friends offered to give her a $1,100 loan to pay her bills. "She told me not to worry about paying her back right away," Scarpa says, but her friend soon flip-flopped, saying she needed the money immediately . Scarpa paid her back as quickly as she could, but it wasn't enough. "It strained our relationship to the point that we're not friends any longer," she says. The lesson: It's best to lean on your loved ones for emotional support only—especially because it can be just as helpful in the end.

This article was produced by Self.com and sponsored by Marcus by Goldman Sachs.™