GETTING into debt used to be something shameful. The stigma of bankruptcy was almost as great as the stigma of being sent to prison.

How times have changed. In some instances, people today seem to regard bankruptcy as little more than a convenient way to shrug off unwanted debts.

In the first three months of this year, 89 people in York declared themselves bankrupt. That is almost one person every day - double the rate of a year ago.

In one way, it is easy to see why we are experiencing this explosion of indebtedness. It is part of a cultural change. We live in a have-it-all, have-it-now age in which debt has become a part of everyday life. Easily available credit cards, irresponsible lenders and a growing culture to spend, spend, spend are all to blame.

If we had to pay hard cash for that exotic foreign holiday, or those expensive designer clothes and beauty products, we might think again. But it is so easy just to flash the plastic. Somehow, the money we spend doesn't seem quite real.

What is beyond doubt, however, is that debt ruins lives. It damages people's health, home, family life and ability to work.

Declaring yourself bankrupt isn't the easy way out. It might well ruin your chance of ever buying your own home, for a start. The good news is that while more people than ever are declaring themselves bankrupt, there has also been a rise in the number of people seeking help to manage their debts.

Working with your creditors to find ways of paying them back might seem hard. It will inevitably involve some scrimping and saving. But in the long term it has to be better.

Updated: 10:59 Tuesday, May 16, 2006