I realised that something had to give if I was ever going to feel in control again. I started to make changes, documenting not only my financial progress but also how I was feeling about it on a new Instagram account that I’d set up specifically for the purpose . The account gained some traction and I was astonished by the number of messages I started to receive from people in the same boat as me – mostly women, who were feeling exactly the same way I did. Women who were petrified to check their bank balance or open their post, women who were lying to their friends and colleagues about planning holidays and saving for a house in order to keep up appearances, women who were locked in a cycle of shame and emotional spending that never seemed to end. They were all worried that if anyone knew how much they were struggling financially, they would think less of them, that they would lose the love and respect of those who cared about them. For the first time since I maxed out my first credit card, I didn’t feel alone.