<prompt> Human: I dont even know where to start. I can barely breathe. I keep trying to fix things and everything keeps getting worse to the point where I really dont particularly even care about being alive any more...but I have two little ones that need me. I just dont know what to do at this point and Im tired of crying all day every day and the panic attacks.Im 26, Im a single parent. Currently I own a retail boutique and am finishing my degree in biology. I wanted to be a pediatrician originally but thats currently out of the running both financially, emotionally, time-wise, and just about everything else. I just took half of my finals for this semester the rest on Thursday and then I have one semester left graduation would be in May. I am paying for this final year of college with student loans with the possibility that my parents will reimburse me when I get my diploma. The problem is, that through bad business and personal decisions made while I was extremely manic before I was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder this year, I have acquired about 48,000 in debt. I managed to pay down about 5000 of that purely credit card debt over the summer - leaving me with 43,000. That number is so astronomically huge I dont even know where to start. My credit is bad, approximately 520, even though Ive paid off all majority of the medical bills that were listed on it in 2015 - theyre all marked as settled for less than full amount. I have one credit card now, with a 1500 limit, that is utilized and completely paid off by the due date, but its only 2 months old. All other credit cards have been paid off. My student loans are deferred but currently total 5500. Derogatory marks on my credit are listed as age of accounts, number of accounts, accounts settled for less than full balance, and a lien that has been paid off ex-husband intentionally didnt pay the taxes on the house so I would be liable as well - deed was in both of our names but mortgage was in his name only, and we had moved 6 hours away so I wasnt notified of the lien until it showed up on my credit. Its been released and Ive attempted to submit the release to have it taken off, but its still there. Breakdown:32,000 to a contractor - have already paid him 20,000 of the original 52,000, have been served with papers demanding payment of the remainder.8,000 - Title Loan taken out at the insistence of the contractor to tide him over until I could get a loan for the full amount I owed him, which hasnt happened due to my credit score. 3,000 - Medical bills from an abuse incident in April, the hospital forgave all of my abusers medical bills but said I made too much for mine to be forgiven, even though he was formally charged and tried and is supposed to pay them...he hasnt. One just showed up on my credit this morning...plummeting my score 51 points.All of this wouldnt be so bad if I had any positive income coming in..but currently Im barely breaking even with the bills as it is with the income from working at the store. I havent paid Novembers rent yet, and now Decembers is due today. 1000 each month. This is after I downsized our housing into the cheapest available space in our area, traded in my car for one without payments, canceled the babysitter and bring my youngest to work, and took my oldest out of private school. The store was originally making 20,000 a month before expenses net profit 6k, my then-fiance was making 40k a year, and I had child support 850month and royalties 300month. Now the store is making 3-4k a month, no secondary income, child support has been cut to 650month, and royalties oilgas have gone down to about 130month. Im desperately looking for a second job thats flexible enough for me to still be able to pick up my oldest from school as shes not old enough to be home alone and to either keep my youngest with me or pay someone to watch her. It just seems like an all around impossible situation to climb out of, and I dont know what to do. Ive tried making plans and discussing them with my parents and structuring repayment plans, etc...but all of that hinges on them agreeing to be cosignors - which they refuse to do. Theyve been telling me to just file bankruptcy and get it over with, but I also dont want to lose everything Ive built up...as little as it is. I just dont know what to do or where to turn. Assistant: Honestly, bankruptcy could give you the breathing room you need to pull out of it. I dont blame you for not wanting to go down that route. But it could release a fair portion of your obligations...including what you owe to that contractor. It could be your best path to recovery.Human: Im worried about retaliation from the contractor. Honestly, he scares me. I want to exhaust every possibility to get him his money if possible first because I feel like thats the honorable thing to do...but Im running out of time. Assistant: Retaliation like how? Physically? Has he threatened you?If hes threatened you or makes any threat or attempt at intimidation towards you to collect...thats illegal under US law at least. And could forfeit his right to collect that debt.I highly doubt he would do anything if you didnt paydeclared bankruptcy.Im an independent contractor. I have a situation right now with a client not paying me. All I can really do is try to stand my ground and make the client think Im bigger than I am until they pay me. If they dont, my only recourse is court...there is no way Id actually go after the client personally. Especially for 8,000. And if you declare bankruptcy there isnt much he can do to collect except go to court and try to get a piece of any assets that might be liquidated.Human: Not physically but he could definitely influence future job opportunities, etc. Threatened as in he came to my house several times I didnt even tell him where I lived and I honestly have no idea how he found out, we had just moved there a month prior. Once he convinced my then six year old that he was friends with my Dad and she should let him in and I came out from getting a shower to find him sitting at my table. It was then he demanded the title loan.  <response>: Yeeeah thats threatening. 