SEATTLE -- Call it recession. Call it a crisis. The growing debt problem has more of us just calling for "help". Unfortunately many are calling too late.

Many local consumers are not just on thin ice, but the ice has cracked. And, by the time they call for help, they're already going under.

Certified Credit Counselor Renee Chamkunthod hasn't seen it this busy in more than a decade. Her client load at the Olympia office of Consumer Counseling Northwest, is packed.

"I see anywhere from five to six people a day," Chamkunthod said.

Across the hall, fellow counselor Diane Hall also works non-stop. The situation is the same at CCNW's offices across the state.

Skyrocketing gasoline prices and the soaring cost of groceries and other products are pushing credit card and other debt over the top.

"We're short on counselors," Chamkunthod said.

The caseload is ballooning with clients from every demographic: College students, young singles, young couples, well-paid professionals, and retirees on limited incomes. Part of the problem is pride. People are too embarrassed to admit they need help so they don't tell anyone.

In the first quarter of 2007, Consumer Counseling Northwest averaged 289 clients per month. During the same period this year is was 446.

The waiting time for appointments is 2 weeks.

Renee says she often comes in early to meet with desperate walk-ins who can't wait.

"It's hard for me, because there's a lot of them that I just can't help. They're too far gone!" she said.

Renee says creditors won't wait. They're less lenient about late payments and quicker to turn delinquent bills over to collection. Once you're in collection, your problems multiply and make it even tougher for debt counselors to help.

Renee's message? Pay attention to the warning signs. Don't put your head in the sand, hoping something will work out.

"When you can't budget your money to pay everything, that's a warning sign," she cautions.

Here are the top 5 warning signs that you need help:

* Using credit cards to pay your living expenses.
* Using credit cards to pay other credit card bills
* Using credit cards to pay the mortgage
* Re-financing or getting a second mortgage to pay your bills
* And ignoring the problem. That's the worst thing you can do.

"People are panicked. They don't know what to do," Chamkunthod said. "Especially people who've never been in this situation before. They just do nothing, they ignore it. They stick their head in the sand and then when they come to see us -- too late! Because they ignored it!"

Pick up the phone as soon as you start having trouble making all your monthly payments on time. The sooner you make an appointment with a certified, reputable counselor, who can review your situation, the sooner you can get help working out a payment plan to get you debt under control.

The longer you wait, the greater your chances of having no alternative but bankruptcy or defaulting on your credit, both of which ruin your credit report for years.

"I'm regretfully saying that we have to do a lot of bankruptcy counseling," she said. "Regretfully."

Even worse than bankruptcy, the longer you wait to get help, the greater your chances of falling victim to the debt negotiation sharks that promise to reduce your balances and work with your creditors, but charge horrendous fees upfront.

Many of these companies have a notorious track record of leaving consumers deeper in debt and not paying off the bills, but taking hundreds and even thousands of dollars in fees.

Stay away from debt counselors who charge big fees, when you can't afford to pay the bills you already have.

For More Information:

www.ccnw.org

www.ftc.gov

www.ftc.gov