I once spoke to an elderly lady who told me that she was taking out a payday loan to pay off a previous loan and so on. I remember thinking that this was a terribly stupid solution. And then I ran into a similar problem myself.

My name is Martyna and in 2017 I took out my first loan. A small amount of EUR 1,250 was supposed to help because I had creditworthiness and my current partner was unemployed. He was supposed to pay it back as soon as he found a job. Then came another loan to pay off the previous one, and another and another. Years passed, and I paid off the loan, sometimes by myself, sometimes with the help of my partner, who did not always have a job. The instalments grew and took more and more of my salary, but we were in this together. Then came 2022. Two years ago everything changed because I was left alone with debts. My partner, who first cheated on me and then left me alone with everything. I fought because I loved him, and on top of that, there were our joint debts! In response, I heard that the debts were in my name, so the problem was mine and mine alone. I would like to argue with that, but after crying nights, I realized that it was true! You pay for naivety and stupidity.

Debts were starting to pile up, and to save myself, I took out my first payday loan. You would only have one, just for a moment, just to get back on track quickly. Then there was another one to pay off the first one and another. This time I entered the swamp at my own risk.

I am currently trying to live day to day, fearing every day what the future will bring. Debts, both joint and personal, have grown to such an extent that I have lost hope for normality. In addition, a bailiff recently seized part of my salary, which makes it even more difficult for me to repay my debts. Family and friends have helped me as much as they could, but these are just drops in the ocean of debts. That is why I am turning to good people with a request to help me get back to normal.

This whole situation has affected my health, both physically and mentally. I have panic attacks every day, and I am also being treated for depression. I won't hide the fact that I have thought about ending it all, but I want to give it another try!